bench

1 of 2

noun

ˈbench 

1

a

: a long seat for two or more persons

b

: a thwart in a boat

c(1)

: a seat on which the members of an athletic team await a turn or opportunity to play

(2)

: the reserve players on a team

broadly : a reserve force

2

a

: the seat where a judge sits in court

b

: the place where justice is administered : court

c

: the office or dignity of a judge

sat on the bench for 20 years

d

: the persons who sit as judges

3

a

: the office or dignity of an official

b

: a seat for an official

c

: the officials occupying a bench

4

a

: a long worktable

also : laboratory

bench chemist

bench test

b

: a table forming part of a machine

5

: terrace, shelf: such as

a

: a former wave-cut shore of a sea or lake or floodplain of a river

b

: a shelf or ridge formed in working an open excavation on more than one level

6

: a compartmented platform on which dogs or cats are kept at a show when not being judged

bench

2 of 2

verb

benched; benching; benches

transitive verb

1

: to furnish with benches

2

a

: to seat on a bench

b(1)

: to remove from or keep out of a game

broadly : to remove from use or from a position

(2)

: to remove from the starting lineup

3

: to exhibit (dogs or cats) to the public on a bench

4

: to lift (a weight) in a bench press

bench 200 pounds

intransitive verb

: to form a bench by natural processes

Synonyms

Noun

• adjudicator
• beak [chiefly British]
• court
• judge
• jurist
• justice
• magistrate

Examples of bench in a Sentence

Noun

The lawyer asked if he could approach the bench.

her recent appointment to the bench

Verb

The manager benched one of his most popular players.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Bucks like to bed on a ridge or bench, watching for does and scent-checking scrapes below. —Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024

But the rest of the boos mostly came after foul calls the crowd — and Boston’s bench — took umbrage with. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024

Verb

After two games, Young was benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

But in September, after just 18 starts and paltry production, he was benched in favor of veteran backup Andy Dalton. —Andrew Greif, NBC News, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English benc; akin to Old High German bank bench

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a

Phrases Containing bench

• bench jockey
• bench mark
• bench press
• bench seat
• bench warrant
• coming off the bench
• deacon's bench
• front bench
• optical bench
• the bench

Kids Definition

bench

1 of 2 noun

ˈbench 

1

a

: a long seat for two or more persons

b

: a seat where the members of a team wait for a chance to play

2

a

: the seat where a judge sits in a court of law

b

: the position or rank of a judge

appointed to the bench

c

: a person or persons engaged in judging

3

a

: a long table for holding tools and work

b

: shelf sense 2

bench

2 of 2 verb

1

: to furnish with benches

2

: to seat on a bench

3

: to remove from or keep out of a game

Legal Definition

bench

noun

1

: the place where a judge sits in court

asked counsel to approach the bench

compare bar sense 1a, dock, jury box, sidebar, stand

2

: the court or system of courts serving an area

the federal bench

3

a

: the office of a judge

appointed to the bench

b

: the body of persons who hold positions as judges

members of the bench and bar

compare bar sense 2a

c

: a judge or panel of judges hearing a case

unless the lawyer is responding to a question from the bench

—R. H. Bork

Biographical Definition

Bench

biographical name

ˈbench 

Johnny (Lee) 1947–     American baseball player