Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

back seat

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.79 in modern English

Syllables: back- seat
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of the seats in the rear of a vehicle.

noun

A lesser or inferior position; a position of deliberate noninvolvement, in which decision-making or leadership is left to others.

Informal

Example Sentences

"2011, Rebecca Black featuring Patrice Wilson, Friday Gotta catch my bus, I see my friends Kickin' in the front seat Sittin' in the back seat Gotta make my mind up Which seat can I take?"
"The bluntness of King Vajiralongkorn's intervention—and the determination it reveals to resist relatively small checks on royal power—is both a snub to the junta and a worry for democrats, some of whom had dared hope that the new king might be happy to take a back seat in public life."

Etymology

From back + seat.

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

back seats (plural) back-seat (alternative) backseat (alternative)

Derived Forms

backseat backseater

Phrases

backseat driver back-seat driver back-seat driving backseat gamer back-seat gamer back-seat gaming back-seat moderator backseat moderator

Frequently Paired Words

front seat

Synonyms

rearseat

Questions

What does back seat mean?: Any of the seats in the rear of a vehicle.
Where does back seat come from?: From back + seat.

How to pronounce back seat

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “back seat”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “back seat”.
Repeat and practice — Say “back seat” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.