cafeteria

1 of 2

noun

caf·​e·​te·​ria ˌka-fə-ˈtir-ē-ə How to pronounce cafeteria (audio)
1
: a restaurant in which the customers serve themselves or are served at a counter and take the food to tables to eat
2

cafeteria

2 of 2

adjective

: providing a selection from which a choice may be made
cafeteria benefit plan
a cafeteria curriculum

Examples of cafeteria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The district does have a budget for maintenance, but major repairs or upgrades — such as replacing a roof, updating a WiFi network, replacing an asphalt playground with grass and trees or installing air conditioning in a cafeteria kitchen — are typically paid for out of bonds. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024 California has become the first state to prohibit school cafeterias from serving foods that contain six artificial dyes tied to health and behavioral problems. Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 30 Sep. 2024
Adjective
Officials floated several ideas Monday on how to deal with lunchroom sizes, including allowing students to eat in non-cafeteria sites, younger students eating picnic style or high school juniors and seniors being allowed to leave the school campus for lunch. Rafael Guerrero, chicagotribune.com, 15 June 2021 See all Example Sentences for cafeteria 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cafeteria.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

American Spanish cafetería coffeehouse, from cafetera coffee maker, from French cafetière, from café

First Known Use

Noun

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1908, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cafeteria was in 1894

Dictionary Entries Near cafeteria

Cite this Entry

“Cafeteria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cafeteria. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

cafeteria

noun
caf·​e·​te·​ria
ˌkaf-ə-ˈtir-ē-ə
1
: a restaurant in which the customers serve themselves or are served at a counter but carry their own food to their tables
2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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