Meaning & use
furniture
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
Objects such as tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets that are used in a room or building.
Grammar: Uncountable: say 'a piece of furniture' or 'some furniture', not 'a furniture' or 'furnitures'.
Patterns
- a piece of furniture
- an item of furniture
- office furniture
- garden furniture
We bought new furniture for the living room.
The apartment came with basic furniture like a bed and a sofa.
She arranged the furniture so that more light came in.
Common combinations
- piece of furniture
- That old chair is a valuable piece of furniture.
- office furniture
- The company spent a lot on office furniture.
- garden furniture
- We keep the garden furniture outside in summer.
- furniture store
- They found a cheap sofa at a furniture store.
- move the furniture
- Can you help me move the furniture?
Synonyms and how they differ
- furnishings
- Furnishings is a broader word that includes furniture plus curtains, carpets, and other decorative items.
- equipment
- Equipment refers to tools or machines used for a particular activity, not to household items like tables and chairs.
Word family
Commonly confused: furniture or furniture?
furniture vs furniture
Learners often say 'a furniture' or 'furnitures'. Remember it is uncountable: 'a piece of furniture'.
Practice
We need to buy some ______ for the new apartment.
Choose one answer.
'Furniture' is uncountable, so it is used without 'a' or a plural -s. 'A furniture' and 'furnitures' are incorrect; 'furniture piece' is not a standard phrase (we say 'piece of furniture').
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “furniture”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.