settlement

American  

[set-l-muhnt] / ˈsɛt l mənt /

noun

• settlements
  plural

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 of property, title, etc., upon a person.

    3. the property so settled.

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 house.  Social 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.

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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

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

   2. ( as modifier )

      settlement day

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

10. 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• settlements
  plural

Etymology

Origin of settlement

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

Explanation

A settlement is a colony or any small community of people. If a bunch of people build houses on the moon together, they’ll have the first lunar settlement. A settlement is also the resolution of something such as a lawsuit. One kind of settlement is a place where people live. This can be a community that's smaller than a town, like a village. Also, if one country establishes a colony somewhere else, that can be called a settlement. The other kind of settlement happens when something is settled, like the end of a disagreement. A lawsuit is ended if there's a settlement — both parties make an agreement that often involves money. A settlement brings closure and resolution.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

settlement settlements

The release date shift follows the recent settlement with California Atty.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

As with most jury awards, the amount could be lowered on appeal and any potential settlement still would need approval from city leaders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

“That’s All?” a headline in The Hollywood Reporter asked after a settlement was announced between Paramount and state attorneys general led by California’s Rob Bonta.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

The Ile de la Cite, home to Notre Dame cathedral, is the largest island in the river Seine in the Paris region and became the centre of the Roman settlement of Lutetia.

From Barron's

She had had no legal help; because of defects in her pleadings and the allegations she made in her complaint, we could secure only a small settlement judgment for her.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Three accusers were paid settlements with no admission of wrongdoing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

Possible settings include submarines, disaster areas, and eventually human settlements on the moon or Mars.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

The Movement for Progressive Judaism said "while the vulnerability of British Jews must not be ignored" measures directed at Israeli settlements "are not the same as an attack on Jews".

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Nine other European countries joined a statement saying they planned to introduce or support restrictions on trade with settlements.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

When I got back, I decided I might as well begin the epic swim to search for lakeside settlements.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Related Words

• agreement
• arrangement
• compensation
• contract
• deal
• establishment
• payment
• resolution