A large sofa made up of separate sections that can be arranged in different configurations.
From Latin 'sectio' meaning 'a cutting' or 'division,' from 'secare' (to cut). While the furniture term is modern, the concept reflects ancient modular thinking - Romans used 'sectional' to describe anything divided into manageable parts. The furniture industry adopted this term in the mid-20th century when suburban homes needed flexible seating that could adapt to different room layouts and family sizes.
Sectional sofas are named with the same Latin root that gives us 'surgery' and 'insect' - they're all about cutting things into pieces. It's fitting that this modular furniture emerged in the 1950s when American families wanted everything to be flexible and reconfigurable, just like their rapidly changing suburban lifestyles.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.