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

Among the highlights are two original armchairs by Gio Ponti, designed in 1949 for the Italian furniture-maker Casa e Giardino. —Samantha Conti, WWD, 19 Dec. 2024

What did excite Redmayne was starring in a globe-trotting TV drama with glamorous backdrops like London, New York, Germany, Spain and Afghanistan — even if many of the scenes were actually shot in Croatia, Hungary and Austria — allowing the audience the joys of armchair tourism. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Dec. 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