Etymology From Middle English pewe, from Old French puiee, puïe (“balustrade, balcony”), from Latin podia, plural of podium (“parapet, podium”), from Ancient Greek πόδιον (pódion, “little foot”), from πούς (poús, “foot”). Doublet of podia.
1
One of the long benches in a church, seating several persons, usually fixed to the floor and facing the chancel.
In many churches some pews are reserved for either clerical or liturgical officials such as canons, or for prominent families.
No, we can't have alphabetical seating in the abbey. You'd have Iraq and Iran next to each other (laugh track)... Plus Israel and Jordan all sitting in the same pew (laugh track)! We'd be in danger of starting World War III (laugh track)!1987 December 17, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “A Diplomatic Incident”, in Yes, Prime Minister, season 2, episode 3, spoken by Bernard Woolley (Derek Fowlds):
1 more example
The pews are filling up, notably with young people, Gen Z's attendance at church has quadrupled in recent years—from a small base, but the significance lies more in the direction of travel.2025 May 31, Tanjil Rashid, “Finding their religion”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 9:
2
Broadly, In plural The congregation of a church.
I think a lot of Americans are actually searching for a church that’s relatively apolitical in the pulpit and the pews.2026 January 22, Ross Douthat, quoting Ryan Burge, “America’s Very Weird Religious Future”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:
3
An enclosed compartment in a church which provides seating for a group of people, often a prominent family.
At St. Patrick’s Cathedral, firefighters in dress blues and white gloves escorted families to the pews for a memorial service, led by Mr. Bloomberg, to honor the 343 Fire Department employees killed on 9/11.2006 September 11, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, “Bush Mourns 9/11 at Ground Zero as N.Y. Remembers”, in The New York Times:
4
Any structure shaped like a church pew, such as a stall, formerly used by money lenders, etc.; a box in a theatre; or a pen or sheepfold.
[H]e, a lollard indeed over his elbovv-cuſhion, in almoſt the ſeaventh part of 40. or 50. years teaches them ſcarce half the principles of religion; and his ſheep oft-times ſit the vvhile to as little purpoſe of benifiting as the ſheep in thir pues at Smithfield; […]1659, J[ohn] M[ilton], Considerations Touching the Likeliest Means to Remove Hirelings out of the Church. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcombe] for L[ivewell] Chapman […], →OCLC, pages 57–58:
my wife and I […]did get into the play, the only one we have seen this winter: it was “The Five Hours’ Adventure:” but I sat so far I could not hear well, nor was there any pretty woman that I did see, but my wife, who sat in my Lady Fox’s pew with her.1689 February 24 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “February 15th, 1688–1689”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys […], volume (please specify |volume=I to X), London: George Bell & Sons […]; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1893–1899, →OCLC:
Victor Crabbe's headmaster was a little man called Boothby […] who subscribed to a popular book club and had many long-playing records, who invited people to curry tiffin and said, "Take a pew."1956, Anthony Burgess, Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 38:
Etymology From Middle English pewe, from Old French puiee, puïe (“balustrade, balcony”), from Latin podia, plural of podium (“parapet, podium”), from Ancient Greek πόδιον (pódion, “little foot”), from πούς (poús, “foot”). Doublet of podia.
1
To furnish with pews.
building a gallery and altering the pewing in the church at Catherington1834, The British Magazine and Monthly Register of Religious and Ecclesiastical Information […] :