settled
Americanadjective
-
fixed or established; unlikely to change.
Like most of us, he has settled habits and opinions.
-
agreed upon; decided.
the rules of settled grammatical usage.
-
having inhabitants or settlers.
settled regions of the country.
-
having a permanent residence; not wandering.
In time the Israelites became a settled people.
Synonym Usage
See staid.
Etymology
Origin of settled
First recorded in 1550–60; settle 1 ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
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.
The family’s companies have settled many accusations of environmental violations by agreeing to pay fines and invest in better pollution prevention without admitting or denying culpability.
From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026
His final choice: My son settled on a practical, no-frills student card with a $3,000 spending limit and an APR that ranged from 18.49% to 28.49%, depending on his creditworthiness.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
In messages on Aug. 10, the two settled on a reference to private “hangar meetings” that Walker would slip into her message to Gates, specifically because, as Epstein put it, “he won’t forward that.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
His case against Comcast for not carrying Allen-owned stations and networks reached the Supreme Court before being settled.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
As these respected citizens learned of the spirits’ appearances, the ghosts settled down.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
