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settlement

American  
[set-l-muhnt] / ˈsɛt l mənt /

noun

  1. the act or state of settling or the state of being settled.

  2. the act of making stable or putting on a permanent basis.

  3. a state of stability or permanence.

  4. an arrangement or adjustment, as of business affairs or a disagreement.

  5. an agreement signed after labor negotiations between union and management.

  6. the terms reached in this agreement.

  7. the settling of persons in a new country or place.

  8. a colony, especially in its early stages.

  9. a small community, village, or group of houses in a thinly populated area.

  10. a community formed and populated by members of a particular religious or ideological group.

    a Shaker settlement.

  11. the satisfying of a claim or demand; a coming to terms.

  12. Law.

    1. final disposition of an estate or the like.

    2. the settling settle settling of property, title, etc., upon a person.

    3. the property so settled. settle.

  13. British.

    1. legal residence in a specific place.

    2. (of a pauper) the right to claim food and shelter from an official agency or specific town or district.

  14. Also called settlement houseSocial Work. an establishment in an underprivileged area providing social services to local residents.

  15. a subsidence or sinking of all or part of a structure.


settlement British  
/ ˈsɛtəlmənt /

noun

  1. the act or state of settling or being settled

  2. the establishment of a new region; colonization

  3. a place newly settled; colony

  4. a collection of dwellings forming a community, esp on a frontier

  5. a community formed by members of a group, esp of a religious sect

  6. a public building used to provide educational and general welfare facilities for persons living in deprived areas

  7. a subsidence of all or part of a structure

    1. the payment of an outstanding account, invoice, charge, etc

    2. ( as modifier )

      settlement day

  8. an adjustment or agreement reached in matters of finance, business, etc

  9. law

    1. a conveyance, usually to trustees, of property to be enjoyed by several persons in succession

    2. the deed or other instrument conveying such property

    3. the determination of a dispute, etc, by mutual agreement without resorting to legal proceedings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonsettlement noun
  • oversettlement noun
  • presettlement noun
  • resettlement noun

Etymology

Origin of settlement

First recorded in 1620–30; settle 1 + -ment

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The truce went into effect at noon local time, and initial reports from settlements along the 500-mile border suggested that clashes had indeed stopped.

From The Wall Street Journal

The defeasance manager provides the seller or settlement agent with a fair-market valuation of the remaining payments on a home’s outstanding mortgage, determined using the current market prices of a portfolio of Treasury securities.

From The Wall Street Journal

Two earlier lawsuits on the issue—but not specifically mental-health care—reached settlements this fall.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Russian defence ministry said its forces had taken control of the settlement of Sviato-Pokrovske in the Donetsk region.

From BBC

It isn’t uncommon for people or entities to buy up patent rights and use them to request settlements.

From The Wall Street Journal