armchair

1 of 2

noun

arm·​chair ˈärm-ˌcher How to pronounce armchair (audio)
: a chair with armrests

armchair

2 of 2

adjective

1
: remote from direct dealing with problems : theoretical rather than practical
armchair strategists
2
: sharing vicariously in another's experiences
an armchair traveler

Examples of armchair in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
As an armchair conspiracy theorist, the Bohemian Grove and the club and the secrets contained within those titans of all power is creepily intriguing to me. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Mar. 2024 In this great new crop of whodunits, mystery fans can revel in being armchair detectives and armchair travelers to locations around the globe — London, Tuscany, Sicily and the English countryside. Karen MacPherson, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 Even the footage published by The Sun and TMZ that appeared to show Kate and William shopping sparked a new flurry of rumor-mongering, with some armchair sleuths refusing to believe the video showed Kate at all. arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2024 Each of the 28 staterooms feature a floor-to-ceiling French balcony, armchairs, plus a writing desk for channeling your inner Paul Theroux. Alex Greggery, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024 Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Noëlle De Leeuw, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Her account of that night was scrutinized by armchair sleuths, and she was relentlessly lampooned by entertainers and consumers. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2024 On an armchair sat a photograph of Schoenberg holding a class in the same space. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Viewers might be comfortable opining on vocal performances like an armchair Simon Cowell, but even the biggest breakout stars of TV singing contests, such as Susan Boyle, have their voices crack sometimes. Marc Hogan, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Over the weekend, the scandal-prone Swiss lender became a trending topic among armchair investors on Twitter and Reddit forums, who speculated that the bank was in trouble. Margot Patrick, WSJ, 3 Oct. 2022 There is an army of armchair retail traders hell-bent on chasing the entire electric vehicle supply chain. Moneyshow, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2021 The event became a watershed for armchair social media sleuthing. Ezra Marcus New York Times, Star Tribune, 15 Mar. 2021 While a travel advisory is still in effect due to COVID-19, perhaps now is the time for an armchair trip to Alaska based on a 1929 letter sent to The Carroll Record. Mary Ann Ashcraft, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 12 Mar. 2021 January 1 Kick off the New Year with an armchair trip to Austria, where the Vienna Philharmonic will present its annual New Year’s Day concert in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein for the first time without an audience. Ariana Marsh, Harper's BAZAAR, 1 Jan. 2021 The New York Times picked up the story and put it on the front page – an indication of how armchair analysis could be as telling as dispatches from the ground. Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020 Marsha Music has started calling herself an armchair revolutionary. Nancy Kaffer, Detroit Free Press, 7 June 2020 With billions of people grounded because of the coronavirus pandemic, armchair travel has never been more important, especially for parents hoping to capture their kids’ attention and imagination. Sarah Firshein, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2020

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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1585, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of armchair was in 1585

Dictionary Entries Near armchair

Cite this Entry

“Armchair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armchair. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

armchair

noun
arm·​chair
ˈärm-ˌche(ə)r,
-ˌcha(ə)r;
ˈarm-ˈche(ə)r,
-ˈcha(ə)r
: a chair with supports for a person's arms
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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