Word
backseat
Phoneticsback·seat, stress on the second syllable
US/bækˈsit/
UK/bˈæksiːt/
Countable noun
Definition
n. the seat in the back of a car or vehicle. It is also used to describe a position where you have less power or control than someone else.
n. the rear seat of a vehicle; figuratively, a position of secondary importance or reduced influence.
Examples
“The children are sitting in the backseat of the car.”
“After the new manager arrived, I had to take a backseat in the decision-making process.”
“While the lead scientist directed the laboratory's primary research, her administrative duties often took a backseat to the urgent demands of the ongoing clinical trials.”
Examples
simple
“The children are sitting in the backseat of the car.”
contextual
“After the new manager arrived, I had to take a backseat in the decision-making process.”
complex
“While the lead scientist directed the laboratory's primary research, her administrative duties often took a backseat to the urgent demands of the ongoing clinical trials.”
Usage
Often used in the idiomatic phrase 'take a backseat' to describe yielding control to others.
Pitfall
he is a back seat driver
he is a backseat driver
In the idiomatic sense of someone giving unwanted advice, 'backseat' is typically written as a single word.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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