What does "sedan" mean?
An enclosed windowed chair suitable for a single occupant, carried by at least two porters, in equal numbers in front and behind, using wooden rails that passed through metal brackets on the sides of the chair.
Sedan
name, noun
name, noun ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An enclosed windowed chair suitable for a single occupant, carried by at least two porters, in equal numbers in front and behind, using wooden rails that passed through metal brackets on the sides of the chair.
- Grammar: sedan is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: saloon, automobile, battle, brougham.
- Useful contrasts: cayman, coupe, crossover.
- Usage evidence: The elderly couple drive a brand new sedan.
How to use "sedan"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sedan" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sedan" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sedan" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sedan" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sedan" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "saloon" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sedan", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An enclosed windowed chair suitable for a single occupant, carried by at least two porters, in equal numbers in front and behind, using wooden rails that passed through metal brackets on the sides of the chair.
"The People who had often heard of me, were very curious to croud about the Sedan, and the Girl was complaiſant enough to make the Bearers ſtop, and to take me in her Hand that I might be conveniently ſeen."
- 2 A handbarrow for transporting fish.
- 3 a car that is closed and that has front and rear seats and two or four doors wordnet
- 4 An automobile designed in a configuration with separate compartments for engine space, driver/passenger space, and luggage or (limited) cargo space. Australia, Canada, New-Zealand, US
"1986 May, Jack Keebler, U.S. Family Sedans - traditional technology takes on state of the art, Popular Science, page 24, What we are observing in this sedan square-off is the cumulative effect of modern design technology on the family sedan."
- 5 a closed litter for one passenger wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A commune in Ardennes department, France, notable as the site of two major battles between France and Germany.
"A hint of the truth broke on him after Sedan, when he saw the dyed moustaches of Napoleon going grey; another when he entered Paris, and saw the smashed windows of the Tuileries."
- 2 A rural town in Mid Murray council area, South Australia, 100 kilometres east of Adelaide, believed to be named by Lutheran settlers after Sedan, France.
- 3 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in DeKalb County, Indiana.
- 4 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Appanoose County, Iowa.
- 5 A number of places in the United States:; A small city, the county seat of Chautauqua County, Kansas. Named after the Battle of Sedan.
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 A number of places in the United States:; A township in Chautauqua County, Kansas.
- 7 A number of places in the United States:; A former community in South Arm Township, Charlevoix County, Michigan.
- 8 A number of places in the United States:; A minor city in Pope County, Minnesota.
- 9 A number of places in the United States:; A census-designated place in Gallatin County, Montana.
- 10 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Nuckolls County, Nebraska.
- 11 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Union County, New Mexico, named after Sedan, Kansas.
- 12 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Scioto County, Ohio.
- 13 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Kiowa County, Oklahoma.
- 14 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia.
Antonyms
Example
"The elderly couple drive a brand new sedan."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sedan"?
Common synonyms include: saloon, automobile, battle, brougham, car, cruiser.
How do you use "sedan" in a sentence?
The elderly couple drive a brand new sedan.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The sense of "windowed chair" was first used by Sir Sanders Duncombe in 1634, possibly from a southern Italian dialect of Italian sede (“seat”), from Latin sedes. The "motorcar" sense was first recorded in 1912 in North America.
Etymology 2
Invented at Sedan in France.
Etymology 3
From French, from Medieval Latin Sedensi.