settle
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
settles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
settled,
past participle, past
-
settling
present participle
-
to appoint, fix, or resolve definitely and conclusively; agree upon (as time, price, or conditions).
-
to place in a desired state or in order.
to settle one's affairs.
-
to pay, as a bill.
-
to close (an account) by payment.
- Synonyms:
- liquidate
-
to migrate to and organize (an area, territory, etc.); colonize.
The pilgrims settled Plymouth.
-
to cause to take up residence.
They settled immigrants in urban areas.
- Synonyms:
- relocate
-
to furnish (a place) with inhabitants or settlers.
The French settled this colony with army veterans.
-
to quiet, calm, or bring to rest (the nerves, stomach, etc.).
-
to stop from annoying or opposing.
A sharp word will settle that youngster.
- Synonyms:
- pacify, still, compose, tranquilize
-
to conclude or resolve.
to settle a dispute.
-
to make (someone) comfortable or snug.
-
to make stable; place in a permanent position or on a permanent basis.
-
to cause (a liquid) to become clear by depositing dregs.
-
to cause (dregs, sediment, etc.) to sink or be deposited.
-
to cause to sink down gradually; make firm or compact.
-
to dispose of finally; close up.
to settle an estate.
-
Law.
-
to secure (property, title, etc.) on or to a person by formal or legal process.
-
to terminate (legal proceedings) by mutual consent of the parties.
-
verb (used without object)
-
settles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
settled,
past participle, past
-
settling
present participle
-
to decide, arrange, or agree (often followed by on orupon ).
to settle on a plan of action.
-
to arrange matters in dispute; come to an agreement.
to settle with a person.
-
to pay a bill; make a financial arrangement (often followed byup ).
-
to take up residence in a new country or place.
Many Frenchmen settled along the Mississippi River following La Salle's explorations.
-
to come to rest, as from flight.
A bird settled on a bough.
-
to gather, collect, or become fixed in a particular place, direction, etc..
A cold settled in my head.
-
to become calm or composed (often followed bydown ).
I'll wait until the class settles before starting the lesson.
-
to come to rest (often followed bydown ).
We settled down for the night at an old country inn.
-
to sink down gradually; subside.
-
to become clear by the sinking of suspended particles, as a liquid.
-
to sink to the bottom, as sediment.
-
to become firm or compact, as the ground.
-
(of a female animal) to become pregnant; conceive.
verb phrase
-
settle into to become established in.
to settle into a new routine.
-
settle for to be satisfied with.
to settle for less.
-
settle down
-
to become established in some routine, especially upon marrying, after a period of independence or indecision.
-
to become calm or quiet.
-
to apply oneself to serious work.
There were so many distractions that we weren't able to settle down to studying.
-
noun
verb
-
(tr) to put in order; arrange in a desired state or condition
he settled his affairs before he died
-
to arrange or be arranged in a fixed or comfortable position
he settled himself by the fire
-
(intr) to come to rest or a halt
a bird settled on the hedge
-
to take up or cause to take up residence
the family settled in the country
-
to establish or become established in a way of life, job, residence, etc
-
(tr) to migrate to and form a community; colonize
-
to make or become quiet, calm, or stable
-
(intr) to be cast or spread; come down
fog settled over a wide area
-
to make (a liquid) clear or (of a liquid) to become clear; clarify
-
to cause (sediment) to sink to the bottom, as in a liquid, or (of sediment) to sink thus
-
to subside or cause to subside and become firm or compact
the dust settled
-
(sometimes foll by up) to pay off or account for (a bill, debt, etc)
-
(tr) to decide, conclude, or dispose of
to settle an argument
-
(intr; often foll by on or upon) to agree or fix
to settle upon a plan
-
(tr; usually foll by on or upon) to secure (title, property, etc) to a person, as by making a deed of settlement, will, etc
he settled his property on his wife
-
to determine (a legal dispute, etc) by agreement of the parties without resort to court action (esp in the phrase settle out of court )
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
settleabilitynoun
-
settlednessnoun
-
quasi-settledadjective
-
settleableadjective
-
unsettleableadjective
-
well-settledadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
settlesimple
-
settlessimple
-
have settledperfect
-
has settledperfect
-
am settlingprogressive
-
are settlingprogressive
-
is settlingprogressive
-
have been settlingperfect progressive
-
has been settlingperfect progressive
Past
-
settledsimple
-
had settledperfect
-
was settlingprogressive
-
were settlingprogressive
-
had been settlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of settle1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English setlen, setel(le) “to seat, place in a seat, be seated; sink down; descend,” Old English setlan (attested once) “to settle, seat, take a position of rest,” derivative of setl settle 2; compare Dutch zetelen
Origin of settle2
First recorded before 900; Middle English setle, setel(e), settel “seat, chair, bench, place for sitting,” Old English setl, sedl, sethl; cognate with German Sessel “armchair,” Gothic sitls “seat,” Latin sella (from unrecorded sedla “saddle”; akin to sit 1
Explanation
To settle means to come to order or rest, much as snow settles on the ground or dust settles on the dining room table. Settle has a number of meanings. After moving several times, you'll wish your parents would settle in one place for the rest of your school years. Have you ever heard your house creaking or groaning? That's the house settling. When adults tell children to calm down, they'll often say, "Settle down kids!" And as a legal term, you settle a lawsuit when the accuser and the accused come to an agreement without going to court.
Vocabulary lists containing settle
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
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 New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Now dozens of people settle onto the still-warm concrete after sunset.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Keely Hodgkinson was forced to settle for European silver as Switzerland's Audrey Werro denied the Briton a third consecutive title in a thrilling women's 800m final in Birmingham.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
In the gym, seeing how massive a pro athlete is drives McBean to never settle for being ordinary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
The August inflation report, due Sept. 11, could settle what Wednesday’s report didn’t.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The drumbeats from the parking lot came to a stop, allowing a moment of quiet to settle over the drive-in—a peaceful pocket of rest where one song ended, and another began.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
"The oil that settles on the seafloor, depending on when and where it is, could persist for years," he added.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
“I hope it settles before court,” Becerra said at the conference.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
It’s not a silver bullet that cures polarization, settles complicated policy debates or ensures that everyone gets along.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
Will Medicare seek reimbursement later if the other driver’s insurance settles the claim?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
Grandpa asks as he settles into his seat.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
After health problems forced my eldest sister into a nursing home recently, I thought about what I could do to make her feel more settled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Bex has settled on one target the group should definitely achieve.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Our friends over at the Slate podcast Slow Burn are good at taking events that we think are settled history, then unlocking a new understanding of those stories through interviews, archives, and fresh analysis.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026
Later that evening, as the women settled into the villa, they began checking their phones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
It flared up and then settled to a slow and steady flame.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
After settling for another bronze in the 50m he said "nothing makes sense", and although his time improved to 59.10secs in Paris, it was only good enough for fifth.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The ancestors of Indigenous Andeans already possessed different numbers of AMY1 copies before settling in the highlands and domesticating potatoes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
Rather than leave the Westlake neighborhood, the owners spent months fundraising and searching for another location before settling on 1403 W. 3rd St., about a half-mile from the original location.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
The labor market’s recovery adds to signs Canada’s economy is settling after being slugged by trade uncertainty and U.S. tariffs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
You, Emma, are the color of afternoon light settling on the trees in the Spinney, Gram had told me, and I had been proud.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
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.
