# backseat

/bækˈsit/ (US) · /bˈæksiːt/ (UK) · CEFR B1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/backseat
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "he is a back seat driver" but "he is a backseat driver" — In the idiomatic sense of someone giving unwanted advice, 'backseat' is typically written as a single word.

## Usage notes

- Often used in the idiomatic phrase 'take a backseat' to describe yielding control to others.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.