cafeteria-style

adjective

caf·​e·​te·​ria-style ˌka-fə-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌstī(-ə)l How to pronounce cafeteria-style (audio)
: cafeteria
cafeteria-style benefits

Examples of cafeteria-style in a Sentence

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.
At the cafeteria-style Portobello, a rotating lineup of baked goods like cookies, muffins, and donuts fills the display. — Vivian Chung, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026 Opt for the thali and a server walks you back to a counter to choose two mains among the mixed curries, cafeteria-style. — Shindy Chen, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026 In one corner, there’s a sushi buffet where visitors pick out sushi pieces cafeteria-style, then purchase their meal by weight. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 24 July 2026 The cafeteria-style trays and displays here are loaded with red-bean buns, bacon epi breads and other sweet and savory handheld snacks that’d fit right in at a park function. — Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cafeteria-style

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cafeteria-style was in 1906

Rhymes for cafeteria-style

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Browse Nearby Words

cafeteria car
cafeteria-style
cafetorium
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Cite this Entry

“Cafeteria-style.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cafeteria-style. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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