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• sit-in
  sit-in

  noun

  any organized protest in which a group of people peacefully occupy and refuse to leave a premises.
• sit in
  sit in

  Attend or take part as a visitor, as in My son's jazz group asked me to sit in tonight . It is often put as sit in on , as in They asked me to sit in on their poker game . [Mid-1800s]

sit-in

American  

[sit-in] / ˈsɪtˌɪn /

noun

• sit-ins
  plural

1. any organized protest in which a group of people peacefully occupy and refuse to leave a premises.

   Sixty students staged a sit-in outside the dean's office.

2. an organized passive protest, especially against racial segregation, in which the demonstrators occupy seats prohibited to them, as in restaurants and other public places.

3. sit-down strike.

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sit-in British  

noun

1. a form of civil disobedience in which demonstrators occupy seats in a public place and refuse to move as a protest

2. another term for sit-down strike

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verb

1. (often foll by for) to deputize (for)

2. (foll by on) to take part (in) as a visitor or guest

   we sat in on Professor Johnson's seminar

3. to organize or take part in a sit-in

sit in Idioms  

1. Attend or take part as a visitor, as in My son's jazz group asked me to sit in tonight . It is often put as sit in on , as in They asked me to sit in on their poker game . [Mid-1800s]

2. Take part in a sit-in, that is, an organized protest in which seated participants refuse to move. For example, The students threatened to sit in unless the dean was reinstated . [c. 1940]

3. sit in on . Visit or observe, as in I'm sitting in on his class, but not for credit . [Early 1900s]

4. sit in for . Substitute for a regular member of a group, as in I'm just sitting in for Harold, who couldn't make it .

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sit-ins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sit-in

1955–60; noun use of verb phrase sit in (a place); cf. sit ¹, -in ³

Explanation

A sit-in is a type of political demonstration where protesters gather in a building or space and refuse to leave. During the U.S. civil rights movement, lunch counter sit-ins were a common form of protest. The goal of a sit-in is to have specific demands met as well as to raise awareness about the issue. Most sit-ins occur in public spaces, from restaurants to small town city halls to university buildings. Sit-ins almost always get the attention of the press, the public, and the officials whose policies are being demonstrated against. While sit-in participants don't always literally sit down, they usually do — hence the term's name.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sit-in sit in sit-ins

In 2011, when Berry was nearly 80 years old, he joined a high-profile sit-in at the office of Kentucky’s then-Gov.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

The elections board meets in a building near the historic site where four A&T students launched the sit-in movement to protest racial segregation in 1960.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

Gandhi had staged a sit-in protest on Tuesday, accusing the government of ignoring students demands and condemning a police crackdown on demonstrations in New Delhi a day earlier.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Unverified footage has also emerged purportedly showing a peaceful sit-in protest at the capital's Beheshti University.

From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026

McKissick told reporters that the sit-in was actually sponsored by several national and local civil rights and religious organizations.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

“No one could sit in their silos; we all spent a lot of time in the sandbox together,” he notes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

“I think I’ll probably sit in the Situation Room and make an appropriate decision,” Trump said.

From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026

I’ve been told by many chief executives that it’s different the day you sit in that seat no matter how much exposure you’ve had to the role.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Something that can sit in the refrigerator for a day or two and somehow become more itself.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026

He was about to sit in the seat across from her, before stopping.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Hall worried for the safety of Kirchner, an intense 27-year-old activist who had been leading sit-ins at OpenAI to protest the dangers of artificial intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Following the king's address, the collective called for "peaceful sit-ins".

From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2025

Students at Sapienza University where she works are staging sit-ins at several faculties.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2025

Where students organize walkouts and sit-ins to fight for a better education.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2025

NCC president Alfonso Elder labored behind the scenes to aid students participating in the sit-ins.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• demonstration
• protest
• revolt
• riot
• sit-down
• walkout