setting
Americannoun
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the act of a person or thing that sets.
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the surroundings or environment of anything.
The garden was a perfect setting for the house.
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the mounting in which a jewel is set.
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a group of all the articles, as of china, silver, or glass, required for setting a table or a single place at a table.
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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.
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Also called stage setting. Also called stage set. the scenery and other properties used in a dramatic performance.
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Music.
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a piece of music composed for certain words.
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a piece of music composed for a particular medium, or arranged for other than the original medium.
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noun
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the surroundings in which something is set; scene
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the scenery, properties, or background, used to create the location for a stage play, film, etc
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music a composition consisting of a certain text and music provided or arranged for it
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the metal mounting and surround of a gem
diamonds in an antique gold setting
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the tableware, cutlery, etc, for a single place at table
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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
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a clutch of eggs in a bird's nest, esp a clutch of hen's eggs
Synonym Usage
See environment.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing setting
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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:
SpaceX is set to report earnings for the first time as a public company next Tuesday — potentially setting the sector up for a fresh bout of volatility.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
She has proposed fighting crime by expelling undocumented people, setting up courts with anonymous judges and making prisoners work for their food.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Participating companies can construct reactors outside a traditional national laboratory setting and use expedited procedures for environmental reviews.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Two weeks into his first solo voyage from Catalina Island to Hawaii in June, the mast on his sailboat snapped, setting off an ordeal that lasted several weeks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
“This party. Yes. It will be the perfect setting for me to speak candidly with the ambassador and enlist his help. When and where is it?”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
The organisation has called for the procedure to be banned outside regulated medical settings.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 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 ● Jul. 22, 2026
In some settings, they can help remove undesirable substances.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
The Defense Department recently approved a slate of firms including SpaceX, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle for usage of their AI models and other technology in classified settings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
I had re-upped my anonymity settings, but I couldn’t be absolutely certain the Recluse wasn’t watching me.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
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.
