armchair

1 of 2

noun

arm·​chair ˈärm-ˌcher 

: 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

Mornings start with the sound of birdsong and there are long afternoons spent exploring the forest, or curled up in an armchair by a window, reading or watching clouds drift across wide-open skies. —Rooksana Hossenally, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

One example is this darkly-hued living room that features shades of blue seen in the sofa, area rug, and artwork, with bursts of purple viewed through throw pillows and a velvet armchair. —Shelby Deering, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1585, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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