setting

American  

[set-ing] / ˈsɛt ɪŋ /

noun

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.

---

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

---

Related Words

See environment.

Other Word Forms

• nonsetting adjective
• unsetting adjective

Etymology

Origin of setting

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

Example Sentences

The review also aimed to make the findings more relevant to real-world settings by looking beyond strictly clinical populations.

From Science Daily

"This sport needs moments. I think that setting my goals and being very clear on that is a huge part of giving this record the respect that it deserves," Kerr said.

From BBC

“If I don’t do something, I’m not setting an example for the next generation,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Solar cells produce electricity when photons from sunlight hit a semiconductor and transfer energy to electrons, setting them in motion and creating an electric current.

From Science Daily

The researchers emphasize that their findings come from lab experiments on cells, not from studies in people, so more research is needed to confirm the risks in real-world settings.

From Science Daily

Related Words

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