settle
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to appoint, fix, or resolve definitely and conclusively; agree upon (as time, price, or conditions).
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to place in a desired state or in order.
to settle one's affairs.
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to pay, as a bill.
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to close (an account) by payment.
- Synonyms:
- liquidate
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to migrate to and organize (an area, territory, etc.); colonize.
The pilgrims settled Plymouth.
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to cause to take up residence.
They settled immigrants in urban areas.
- Synonyms:
- relocate
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to furnish (a place) with inhabitants or settlers.
The French settled this colony with army veterans.
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to quiet, calm, or bring to rest (the nerves, stomach, etc.).
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to stop from annoying or opposing.
A sharp word will settle that youngster.
- Synonyms:
- pacify, still, compose, tranquilize
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to conclude or resolve.
to settle a dispute.
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to make (someone) comfortable or snug.
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to make stable; place in a permanent position or on a permanent basis.
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to cause (a liquid) to become clear by depositing dregs.
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to cause (dregs, sediment, etc.) to sink or be deposited.
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to cause to sink down gradually; make firm or compact.
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to dispose of finally; close up.
to settle an estate.
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Law.
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to secure (property, title, etc.) on or to a person by formal or legal process.
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to terminate (legal proceedings) by mutual consent of the parties.
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verb (used without object)
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to decide, arrange, or agree (often followed by on orupon ).
to settle on a plan of action.
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to arrange matters in dispute; come to an agreement.
to settle with a person.
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to pay a bill; make a financial arrangement (often followed byup ).
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to take up residence in a new country or place.
Many Frenchmen settled along the Mississippi River following La Salle's explorations.
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to come to rest, as from flight.
A bird settled on a bough.
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to gather, collect, or become fixed in a particular place, direction, etc..
A cold settled in my head.
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to become calm or composed (often followed bydown ).
I'll wait until the class settles before starting the lesson.
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to come to rest (often followed bydown ).
We settled down for the night at an old country inn.
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to sink down gradually; subside.
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to become clear by the sinking of suspended particles, as a liquid.
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to sink to the bottom, as sediment.
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to become firm or compact, as the ground.
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(of a female animal) to become pregnant; conceive.
verb phrase
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settle into to become established in.
to settle into a new routine.
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settle for to be satisfied with.
to settle for less.
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settle down
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to become established in some routine, especially upon marrying, after a period of independence or indecision.
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to become calm or quiet.
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to apply oneself to serious work.
There were so many distractions that we weren't able to settle down to studying.
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noun
verb
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(tr) to put in order; arrange in a desired state or condition
he settled his affairs before he died
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to arrange or be arranged in a fixed or comfortable position
he settled himself by the fire
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(intr) to come to rest or a halt
a bird settled on the hedge
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to take up or cause to take up residence
the family settled in the country
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to establish or become established in a way of life, job, residence, etc
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(tr) to migrate to and form a community; colonize
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to make or become quiet, calm, or stable
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(intr) to be cast or spread; come down
fog settled over a wide area
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to make (a liquid) clear or (of a liquid) to become clear; clarify
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to cause (sediment) to sink to the bottom, as in a liquid, or (of sediment) to sink thus
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to subside or cause to subside and become firm or compact
the dust settled
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(sometimes foll by up) to pay off or account for (a bill, debt, etc)
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(tr) to decide, conclude, or dispose of
to settle an argument
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(intr; often foll by on or upon) to agree or fix
to settle upon a plan
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(tr; usually foll by on or upon) to secure (title, property, etc) to a person, as by making a deed of settlement, will, etc
he settled his property on his wife
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to determine (a legal dispute, etc) by agreement of the parties without resort to court action (esp in the phrase settle out of court )
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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well-settledadjective
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unsettleableadjective
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settleableadjective
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settleabilitynoun
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settlednessnoun
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quasi-settledadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have settledperfect
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has settledperfect 3rd person singular
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are settlingprogressive
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have been settlingperfect progressive
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am settlingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been settlingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is settlingprogressive 3rd person singular
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settlessingular 3rd person
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settlingparticiple
Past
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had settledperfect
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was settlingprogressive singular
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were settlingprogressive plural
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settledparticiple
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had been settlingperfect progressive
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settledsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of settle1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English setlen, setel(le) “to seat, place in a seat, be seated; sink down; descend,” Old English setlan (attested once) “to settle, seat, take a position of rest,” derivative of setl settle 2; compare Dutch zetelen
Origin of settle2
First recorded before 900; Middle English setle, setel(e), settel “seat, chair, bench, place for sitting,” Old English setl, sedl, sethl; cognate with German Sessel “armchair,” Gothic sitls “seat,” Latin sella (from unrecorded sedla “saddle”; akin to sit 1
Explanation
To settle means to come to order or rest, much as snow settles on the ground or dust settles on the dining room table. Settle has a number of meanings. After moving several times, you'll wish your parents would settle in one place for the rest of your school years. Have you ever heard your house creaking or groaning? That's the house settling. When adults tell children to calm down, they'll often say, "Settle down kids!" And as a legal term, you settle a lawsuit when the accuser and the accused come to an agreement without going to court.
Vocabulary lists containing settle
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
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The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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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.
District Court Judge David O. Carter ordered the VA to build 2,500 units in addition to the 1,200 the agency agreed to build to settle the earlier case.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Deschamps said it took time for Olise to settle on the international stage.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, used advanced "chemical transport" modeling to track how chemicals move through the atmosphere, react with other substances, and eventually settle back to Earth.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
Life insurers can plan around mortality rates, but it is hard to know when a bad year for hurricanes or wildfires will force property insurers to shell out huge quantities of cash to settle claims.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Early every morning we would settle into our new shelter for the day, make ourselves and Marlene as comfortable as we could, and then sooner or later Peter would disappear.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
