Showing results for "setting"

• present participle of set.

setting

American  

[set-ing] / ˈsɛt ɪŋ /

noun

• settings
  plural

1. the act of a person or thing that sets.

2. the surroundings or environment of anything.

   The garden was a perfect setting for the house.

3. the mounting in which a jewel is set.

4. a group of all the articles, as of china, silver, or glass, required for setting a table or a single place at a table.

5. the locale or period in which the action of a novel, play, film, etc., takes place.

   The setting of this story is Verona in the 15th century.

6. Also called stage setting.  Also called stage set.  the scenery and other properties used in a dramatic performance.

7. Music.

   1. a piece of music composed for certain words.

   2. a piece of music composed for a particular medium, or arranged for other than the original medium.

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setting British  

/ ˈsɛtɪŋ /

noun

1. the surroundings in which something is set; scene

2. the scenery, properties, or background, used to create the location for a stage play, film, etc

3. music a composition consisting of a certain text and music provided or arranged for it

4. the metal mounting and surround of a gem

   diamonds in an antique gold setting

5. the tableware, cutlery, etc, for a single place at table

6. any of a series of points on a scale or dial that can be selected to control the level as of temperature, speed, etc, at which a machine functions

7. a clutch of eggs in a bird's nest, esp a clutch of hen's eggs

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Synonym Usage

See environment.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsetting
  adjective
• unsetting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• settings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of setting

First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English; see origin at set, -ing ¹

Explanation

A setting is where something is set, or placed. If you want to propose to your beloved, try to choose a romantic setting. To set means to put in place, so a setting is a placement. If you are a jeweler, you will spend a lot of time making silver and gold settings for precious stones. Setting can also mean context. If you tell me that you spent the whole weekend cooing and clucking, before I decide that you’re crazy, you might explain to me that the setting of that clucking was the birth of all the little chicks on your friend’s farm.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

setting settings

"There was really no better choice to describe this setting: right there on the beach, right there in the port of Rimini, where through the ornamentation we also almost echoed the portholes of the boats."

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Although the intact pot has not provided many direct clues about how it was used, its archaeological setting adds another piece to the larger history being reconstructed at the site.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

“We’re setting up a system where people of better financial resources can get physicians who can spend more time with them,” says Weisbart.

From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026

Investors remain anxious about stubbornly high inflation, mounting federal debt, a deluge of corporate borrowing to fund artificial-intelligence investments, and a new Federal Reserve chairman whose approach to setting interest rates remains enigmatic to many.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The sun was setting, illuminating the badger’s sheer silhouette in a halo of fiery light.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Claw machines can be set to yield a prize after a certain number of attempts, and today’s operators are choosing more reasonable settings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

But the optimism around the industry comes as some experts have voiced doubts over demand for robots for uses outside industrial and commercial settings.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

"Emissions are gradually falling, but progress stalled in 2024, and current policy settings are not delivering at the pace needed," Hendy said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

High-rise senior housing makes increasing sense in urban settings as land costs rise and the number of people who need it grows, said architect Soo Im of Gensler, the firm designing Viva.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

He snapped the back of the camera shut and chose the appropriate shutter and aperture settings, which controlled the amount of light the film would be exposed to.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai

Related Words

• ambience
• backdrop
• context
• environment
• framework
• locale
• location
• site
• surroundings