café

1 of 2

noun

ca·​fé ka-ˈfā How to pronounce café (audio)
kə-
variants or less commonly cafe
Synonyms of café
often attributive
1
: a usually small and informal establishment serving various refreshments (such as coffee)
broadly : restaurant
2
: barroom
3
: cabaret, nightclub

CAFE

2 of 2

abbreviation

ka-ˈfā How to pronounce CAFE (audio)
corporate average fuel economy

Synonyms of café

Relevance

Noun

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Examples of café in a Sentence

Noun the café presents nationally known jazz performers in an intimate setting a speakeasy that became a fashionable café with the repeal of prohibition
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The cafe, inside the gift shop, offers simple snacks, coffee, and sandwiches—best to skip it and dine elsewhere in the area. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026 The Bee reached out to the cafe but the facility was closed at time of the call. — Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Ofelia Montes de Oca, a 56-year-old resident who has lived in Pinecrest for 40 years, was among those in the crowded cafe. — Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 Chinese cafes offer free AI access the way American cafes once offered free Wi-Fi. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for café

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French café coffee, café, from Turkish kahve — more at coffee

First Known Use

Noun

1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of café was in 1802

Phrases Containing café

Browse Nearby Words

cafard
café
CAFE
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Café.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caf%C3%A9. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

café

noun
ca·​fé
variants also cafe
ka-ˈfā How to pronounce café (audio)
kə-
1
: a usually small restaurant
2
: barroom
3
: nightclub
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