cafeteria
gb/kˌæfətˈɪɹiə/ us/kˌæfətˈɪɹiə/
A2
English
~ 1600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Self-service dining area
A place in a school, office, or other building where you can get food and eat it there.
Usage pattern:
[someone] eats in [a cafeteria]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'cafeteria' with 'cafe'; a cafe is usually a small restaurant where you order and are served, while a cafeteria is typically self-service.
Synonyms
canteen (Common in British English for a similar facility, especially in schools and workplaces.)
|
dining hall (Often refers to a larger, more formal eating area, especially in colleges.)
Antonyms
restaurant (A commercial eating place where food is served at the table rather than self-service.)
Collocations
school cafeteria
|company cafeteria
|hospital cafeteria
|eat in the cafeteria
|cafeteria food
Themes
daily life
|food
|education
|food_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- We met for lunch in the company cafeteria.
- The school cafeteria serves pizza every Friday.
- She prefers bringing her own lunch instead of eating in the cafeteria.
- The hospital cafeteria is open 24 hours a day.
Learner examples
- We eat lunch in the school cafeteria.
- I buy coffee in the cafeteria every morning.
- The cafeteria is on the first floor.
- He works in the cafeteria.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cafeteria
IPA
GB/kˌæfətˈɪɹiə/
US/kˌæfətˈɪɹiə/
Syllables & stress
cafet - er - ia (3 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ia)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cafeteria
- Plural: cafeterias
Word family
Expressions
cafeteria plan
1/kˌæfətˈɪɹiə plˈæn/
fixed phrase
Employee benefits choice program
A work benefits program where employees can choose the benefits they want.
Examples
- The company offers a cafeteria plan so workers can choose between more vacation time or better health insurance.
- Under the cafeteria plan, she opted for extra dental coverage.