tavern

noun

tav·​ern ˈta-vərn 

1

: an establishment where alcoholic beverages are sold to be drunk on the premises

2

: inn

Synonyms of tavern

• pub
• saloon
• bar

Examples of tavern in a Sentence

a seedy section of the city's waterfront that was rife with cheap taverns, tattoo parlors, and run-down flophouses

a colonial-era tavern that has been serving weary travelers for two and a half centuries

Recent Examples on the Web

There have been several mass shootings at bars — sometimes called shebeens or taverns in South Africa — in recent years, including one that left eight people dead in the southeast city of Durban just a few months ago. —CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025

Previous mass shootings—such as the 2022 Soweto tavern attack that killed 16 and others across the country—underscore the persistent risks posed by these sites, the Associated Press reported. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025

The bill would have allowed taverns to sell cigars and pipe tobacco, which could then be smoked on the bar's premises. —Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 5 Dec. 2025

Rather than begin with the group in a tavern, as Vox Machina and countless D&D campaigns do, The Mighty Nein is a slow burn. —James Grebey, Rolling Stone, 28 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English taverne, from Anglo-French, from Latin taberna hut, shop

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tavern

• cavern

Kids Definition

tavern

noun

tav·​ern ˈtav-ərn 

1

: an establishment where alcoholic liquors are sold to be drunk on the premises

2

: inn