Meaning
To assume, or be relegated to, a secondary or less prominent position while someone or something else takes the lead; also to choose to withdraw from responsibility or prominence. Frequently followed by 'to' to name whatever eclipses the subject, as when one priority is said to fall behind another. Neutral in register; can be voluntary and modest in tone or, when imposed from outside, slightly resentful. Regional use: General English.
Origin
A metaphor from seating: the literal compound 'back seat' is old (Merriam-Webster dates it to 1715), and in churches, coaches, parliaments and theatres the rear seats were the least prestigious, so occupying one came to signal declining importance. The figurative use is first recorded in 1838, per Merriam-Webster's first-known-use note, and flourished in 19th-century America, where an early dictionary of Americanisms glossed 'to take a back seat' as to retire into obscurity. Cambridge's current definition frames it as choosing not to hold a position of responsibility in an organization or activity.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- be relegated to the back seat
- take a back seat to
- take the back seat
Usage Examples
- With the product recall all over the news, the marketing campaign was told to take a back seat for a month.
- After a lifetime as chief executive, he found it hard to take a back seat once he had handed over the keys.
- On this project, personal preference takes a back seat to what the data shows.