situation
Americannoun
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situations
plural
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manner of being situated; location or position with reference to environment.
The situation of the house allowed for a beautiful view.
- Synonyms:
- site
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a place or locality.
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condition; case; plight.
He is in a desperate situation.
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the state of affairs; combination of circumstances.
The present international situation is dangerous.
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a position or post of employment; job.
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a state of affairs of special or critical significance in the course of a play, novel, etc.
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Sociology. the aggregate of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors acting on an individual or group to condition behavioral patterns.
noun
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physical placement, esp with regard to the surroundings
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state of affairs; combination of circumstances
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a complex or critical state of affairs in a novel, play, etc
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social or financial status, position, or circumstances
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a position of employment; post
Usage
Situation is often used in contexts in which it is redundant or imprecise. Typical examples are: the company is in a crisis situation or people in a job situation. In the first example, situation does not add to the meaning and should be omitted. In the second example, it would be clearer and more concise to substitute a phrase such as people at work
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of situation
First recorded in 1480–90, situation is from the Medieval Latin word situātiōn- (stem of situātiō ). See situate, -ion
Explanation
Situation is related to the verb "situate," which means to place. A building might be situated on the top of a hill — that's its position or situation. You've probably heard the term "sitcom," but may not realize it is short for "situation comedy," or a comedy where the humor is based on a set of quirky circumstances the characters find themselves placed in. A situation can also mean a set of circumstances that you find yourself placed in: holding both halves of a crazy aunt's broken vase could be a sticky situation — perfect for a situation comedy.
Vocabulary lists containing situation
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 4
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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.
See Examples For:
She knows that’s not the situation for all women; in her signature style, she presents the data and the narrative to back it up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
"The situation is really tight, and it's been more and more polarised in Sweden the last years," 48-year-old construction worker Mikko Duvaldt told AFP on Monday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
Drake Thomas, an Anthropic safety employee, posted on X that he would “burn my equity to the ground in a heartbeat for a 1% higher chance we make it out of this situation alive.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
It said that rent rises were being seen across the UK, but the situation still differed depending where renters were looking.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
We didn’t have a real bathroom, an annoying situation my mom insisted on calling tradish.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
They were smart too, and that experience and ability not to panic goes a long way in football in situations like the one City faced following Phil Foden's early red card.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
The company should have a guidebook that contains a list of workplace situations in which there might be a need, or temptation, to use AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Believable people with reasonable reactions forced to cope with seemingly unbelievable and unreasonable situations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Ringbauer also notes that many financial situations are complicated, and it can be easy to forget to list all of the assets you want covered.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Living with my mom, I saw how she used language to cross boundaries, handle situations, navigate the world.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
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.
