cafeteria

1 of 2

noun

caf·​e·​te·​ria ˌka-fə-ˈtir-ē-ə 

1

: a restaurant in which the customers serve themselves or are served at a counter and take the food to tables to eat

2

: lunchroom sense 2

cafeteria

2 of 2

adjective

: providing a selection from which a choice may be made

cafeteria benefit plan

a cafeteria curriculum

Examples of cafeteria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

An Oregon high school cafeteria chemical scare that left a student in critical condition has escalated into a domestic terrorism and attempted murder case against the same teenager school staff rushed to save. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2026

In the company cafeteria, Hara watched as his coworkers squared off over a game of Go, a board game played with black and white stones on a grid. — HubSpot, 1 Oct. 2026

The floor could include a gathering space and cafeteria for employees, as well as multi-purpose room. — Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2026

Before the girls perform for Eloise, Paulina creeps into the cafeteria alone, carefully made up and dressed in baby blue chiffon (costume designer Qween Jean continues to shoot nothing but net). — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

American Spanish cafetería coffeehouse, from cafetera coffee maker, from French cafetière, from café

First Known Use

Noun

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1908, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cafeteria

• cafeteria-style

Rhymes for cafeteria

• arteria
• bacteria
• criteria
• diphtheria
• egeria
• listeria
• wisteria
• cyanobacteria
• mycobacteria

Kids Definition

cafeteria

noun

caf·​e·​te·​ria

ˌkaf-ə-ˈtir-ē-ə

1

: a restaurant in which the customers serve themselves or are served at a counter but carry their own food to their tables

2

: lunchroom