empty chair
An "empty chair" can represent absence, conflict, or remembrance across various contexts, including psychotherapy, politics, and symbolic art.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
C1Psychotherapy
(technical)A seat used to symbolize someone the client has unresolved issues with, facilitating expression and resolution.
Example
- The therapist asked her to speak to the empty chair as if her estranged father were sitting there.
B2Politics
(formal)A tactic where an unoccupied podium or seat highlights the absence of a participant in a debate or meeting.
Example
- The empty chair at the debate was a stark reminder of the candidate's refusal to participate.
B2Symbolism
(general)A representation of someone who is missing, often evoking feelings of loss or remembrance.
Example
- The empty chair at the dinner table made everyone feel the absence of their loved one.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "empty chair":
pull up a chairhot seatrolling chairmusical chairsempty spaceghost character