What does divan mean?
A divan is a long, low piece of seating furniture — essentially a couch without a high back or arms — traditionally set against a wall and dressed with cushions so it can serve as both a seat and a daybed. The word carries a slightly exotic, old-fashioned charm compared with plain 'sofa' or 'couch', and it often appears in descriptions of period rooms, Middle Eastern interiors, or relaxed lounging. In British English, 'divan' has a second, very practical meaning: the boxed base of a bed, frequently with built-in drawers, sold widely as a 'divan bed'. Historically, a divan was also a council chamber or administrative office in Ottoman and Persian government, a sense that survives mainly in historical writing. All these senses trace back through Turkish and Persian to a root concerning accounts or records, which makes the word a neat example of how furniture, bureaucracy, and language share a history.
A long, low sofa or couch, typically without arms or with a low back, placed against a wall and often furnished with cushions.
"A velvet-covered divan ran along the length of the drawing-room wall."
(British) A bed consisting of a solid rectangular base, often with drawers, supporting a mattress; a divan bed.
"They bought a new divan with storage drawers underneath."
(Historical) A council chamber or government office in certain Middle Eastern countries.
"The sultan's decrees were read aloud in the imperial divan."
Regular plural. Used for both the furniture sense and the historical council-chamber sense.
"The antique shop had three divans lined up against the far wall."
The comfy couch you lounge on got its name from the same Persian word that gave us 'customs' — as in customs officials sitting on benches to count your imports.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of divan
The word comes from Persian 'dīwān', meaning a register, account book, or council, which passed into Turkish and then into European languages via French in the early 17th century. From the sense of a council chamber it came to mean the long cushioned bench used in such rooms, and eventually any low backless sofa. The same Persian root gives us 'douane' (customs) in French, reflecting the administrative side of the original meaning.
How divan is actually used
Most common today for furniture: a low, often armless couch. In Britain, 'divan bed' is a familiar term for a storage-base bed. The governmental sense is largely historical or regional and will feel archaic to most readers. Register is neutral.
Easily confused with divan
'Duvan' is not a standard English word; it is sometimes a typo for 'divan' (the couch) — there is no separate dictionary meaning to confuse.
'Devan' is chiefly a personal name and not an English noun; it should not be substituted for 'divan', the long backless sofa.