settle

¹ American  

[set-l] / ˈsɛt l /

verb (used with object)

settles, present (3rd person singular) settled, past participle, past settling present participle

1. to appoint, fix, or resolve definitely and conclusively; agree upon (as time, price, or conditions).

   Synonyms:

   determine, decide, set

2. to place in a desired state or in order.

   to settle one's affairs.

3. to pay, as a bill.

4. to close (an account) by payment.

   Synonyms:

   liquidate

5. to migrate to and organize (an area, territory, etc.); colonize.

   The pilgrims settled Plymouth.

6. to cause to take up residence.

   They settled immigrants in urban areas.

   Synonyms:

   relocate

7. to furnish (a place) with inhabitants or settlers.

   The French settled this colony with army veterans.

   Synonyms:

   colonize, people

8. to quiet, calm, or bring to rest (the nerves, stomach, etc.).

9. to stop from annoying or opposing.

   A sharp word will settle that youngster.

   Synonyms:

   pacify, still, compose, tranquilize

10. to conclude or resolve.

    to settle a dispute.

11. to make (someone) comfortable or snug.

12. to make stable; place in a permanent position or on a permanent basis.

    Synonyms:

    establish, stabilize

13. to cause (a liquid) to become clear by depositing dregs.

14. to cause (dregs, sediment, etc.) to sink or be deposited.

15. to cause to sink down gradually; make firm or compact.

16. to dispose of finally; close up.

    to settle an estate.

17. Law.

    1. to secure (property, title, etc.) on or to a person by formal or legal process.

    2. to terminate (legal proceedings) by mutual consent of the parties.

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verb (used without object)

settles, present (3rd person singular) settled, past participle, past settling present participle

1. to decide, arrange, or agree (often followed by on orupon ).

   to settle on a plan of action.

2. to arrange matters in dispute; come to an agreement.

   to settle with a person.

3. to pay a bill; make a financial arrangement (often followed byup ).

4. to take up residence in a new country or place.

   Many Frenchmen settled along the Mississippi River following La Salle's explorations.

   Synonyms:

   locate, relocate

5. to come to rest, as from flight.

   A bird settled on a bough.

6. to gather, collect, or become fixed in a particular place, direction, etc..

   A cold settled in my head.

7. to become calm or composed (often followed bydown ).

   I'll wait until the class settles before starting the lesson.

8. to come to rest (often followed bydown ).

   We settled down for the night at an old country inn.

9. to sink down gradually; subside.

   Synonyms:

   abate, fall, decline

10. to become clear by the sinking of suspended particles, as a liquid.

11. to sink to the bottom, as sediment.

12. to become firm or compact, as the ground.

13. (of a female animal) to become pregnant; conceive.

verb phrase

1. settle into to become established in.

   to settle into a new routine.

2. settle for to be satisfied with.

   to settle for less.

3. settle down

   1. to become established in some routine, especially upon marrying, after a period of independence or indecision.

   2. to become calm or quiet.

   3. to apply oneself to serious work.

      There were so many distractions that we weren't able to settle down to studying.

settle ² American  

[set-l] / ˈsɛt l /

noun

1. a long seat or bench, usually wooden, with arms and a high back.

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settle ¹ British  

/ ˈsɛtəl /

verb

1. (tr) to put in order; arrange in a desired state or condition

   he settled his affairs before he died

2. to arrange or be arranged in a fixed or comfortable position

   he settled himself by the fire

3. (intr) to come to rest or a halt

   a bird settled on the hedge

4. to take up or cause to take up residence

   the family settled in the country

5. to establish or become established in a way of life, job, residence, etc

6. (tr) to migrate to and form a community; colonize

7. to make or become quiet, calm, or stable

8. (intr) to be cast or spread; come down

   fog settled over a wide area

9. to make (a liquid) clear or (of a liquid) to become clear; clarify

10. to cause (sediment) to sink to the bottom, as in a liquid, or (of sediment) to sink thus

11. to subside or cause to subside and become firm or compact

    the dust settled

12. (sometimes foll by up) to pay off or account for (a bill, debt, etc)

13. (tr) to decide, conclude, or dispose of

    to settle an argument

14. (intr; often foll by on or upon) to agree or fix

    to settle upon a plan

15. (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

16. to determine (a legal dispute, etc) by agreement of the parties without resort to court action (esp in the phrase settle out of court )

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settle ² British  

/ ˈsɛtəl /

noun

1. a seat, for two or more people, usually made of wood with a high back and arms, and sometimes having a storage space in the boxlike seat

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• settleability
  noun
• settledness
  noun
• quasi-settled
  adjective
• settleable
  adjective
• unsettleable
  adjective
• well-settled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• settling
  present
• settled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• settle
  simple
• settles
  simple
• have settled
  perfect
• has settled
  perfect
• am settling
  progressive
• are settling
  progressive
• is settling
  progressive
• have been settling
  perfect progressive
• has been settling
  perfect progressive

Past

• settled
  simple
• had settled
  perfect
• was settling
  progressive
• were settling
  progressive
• had been settling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will settle
  simple
• will have settled
  perfect
• will be settling
  progressive
• will have been settling
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

settle settles settled settling

Though the Dodgers do have an excess of prospect talent, especially in the outfield, the Tigers aren’t going to settle for anything short of a robust return.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

But the city’s response to the barricades did not settle the public safety question.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

In Glasgow, despite coming into the final as the fastest qualifier, he had to settle for bronze.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

Ex-smokers gain a slight increase in lung function weeks after quitting as swelling and inflammation settle down.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The teams will not rest this first night—they are too excited and must be allowed to run until they settle in—so the darkness brings a particular insanity of passing teams and tangles and moose.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

Over time, material such as pollen, sand, plant remains, and organic matter settles at the bottom of a lake, building a layered record of past environmental conditions.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

Once she settles in, the girl befriends other spirits and wins them over with her acceptance and understanding — including a few shunned by everyone else, like the famous No-Face.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

WTI settles up 0.2% at $68.69 a barrel and Brent rises 0.3% to $71.80.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

As the dust settles the question every fan is asking is will the German Football Association take the plunge and sack head coach Julian Nagelsmann and bring in Jurgen Klopp.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

I go in, sit in my non-window-facing chair, and look at the soles of Dr. Katz’s sneakers as she settles them across from me.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon

It settled on a team having to remove an outfield player from the field.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Aged 17, Nirmala had come to Leeds to join her husband, whose family had already settled there.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

U.S. natural gas futures settled higher with the market looking to Thursday’s weekly storage report and keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Bertha as the system moves along the Louisiana coast toward Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Precious metals settled higher, with sentiment shifting to a more optimistic outlook.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Tansy pulled the small girl’s skirttails free of her drawers and settled her skirts for her.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Treasury yields rose for the week, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note settling Friday at 4.678%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Meanwhile, James methodically listened to pitches from a handful of teams, ultimately settling on the 76ers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

This end-of-term ritual presents the court as settling the Constitution’s meaning.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

A Meta spokesperson said in a statement: "Days after settling with other social media companies, the plaintiff dropped his case against Meta, the only remaining defendant, without receiving any payment."

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

He then travelled on the Continent for several years, before settling in London, where he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1573.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Related Words

• achieve
• clear
• complete
• conclude
• decide
• determine
• end
• establish
• fix
• negotiate
• pay
• put an end to
• work out