What does armrest mean?
An armrest is the part of a chair, sofa, theatre seat, or vehicle seat designed to support the arm, usually positioned at roughly elbow height along either side of the sitter. Armrests may be fixed or movable: many car and aeroplane seats feature folding or adjustable armrests, while sofas often have broad, upholstered ones that double as comfortable perches for reading or napping. Beyond mere comfort, armrests serve practical purposes — they reduce strain on shoulders and necks during long periods of sitting, provide stability when rising from a seat, and in cars may house controls for windows or storage compartments. The word is a straightforward compound of 'arm' and 'rest', reflecting its function exactly. Though unglamorous, the armrest is culturally familiar as contested territory, most famously in the silent negotiations between strangers over the shared middle-seat armrest on crowded flights.
nounA part of a chair, sofa, seat in a vehicle, or similar piece of furniture that provides a place to rest the arm; typically an upholstered or moulded support running along the side of the seat at elbow height.
- A padded or moulded support on a chair, sofa, or vehicle seat on which the arm can rest.
"She settled into her window seat and propped her elbow on the armrest for the long flight."
"He gripped the armrests tightly as the plane hit turbulence."
"The sofa's wooden armrests were worn smooth by decades of use."
Standard plural, used whenever referring to more than one armrest, including the pair on a single seat.
"Both armrests of the recliner could be raised to make transferring from a wheelchair easier."
The humble armrest is one of the most contested pieces of real estate in the world — just ask anyone who has flown economy and silently battled a stranger over the middle seat's shared pair.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of armrest
Armrest is an English compound formed from 'arm', which derives from Old English 'earm' meaning the upper limb, and 'rest', from Old English 'ræst' or 'reste', meaning repose or a support for resting. Such functional compounds combining a body part with its supporting object are typical of English furniture vocabulary, alongside terms like 'headboard' and 'footrest'. The word has been in use since at least the nineteenth century, coinciding with the rise of mass-produced upholstered furniture, and it has no notable cognates outside Germanic-derived English compounds of the same pattern.
How armrest is actually used
A common everyday noun with no particular register — used equally in casual conversation and product descriptions. In vehicles and aircraft, 'armrest' often refers to a foldable or adjustable component, and 'centre armrest' specifically denotes the one between two seats. The plural 'armrests' is standard when referring to both sides of a seat.
Easily confused with armrest
A headrest supports the head or neck (as on a car seat), whereas an armrest supports the forearm and elbow.