situate
Americanverb (used with object)
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situates,
present (3rd person singular)
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situated,
past participle, past
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situating
present participle
adjective
verb
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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situatesimple
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situatessimple
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have situatedperfect
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has situatedperfect
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am situatingprogressive
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are situatingprogressive
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is situatingprogressive
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have been situatingperfect progressive
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has been situatingperfect progressive
Past
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situatedsimple
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had situatedperfect
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was situatingprogressive
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were situatingprogressive
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had been situatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of situate
1515–25; < Late Latin situātus situated, equivalent to Latin situ-, stem of situs site + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
When you situate something, you figure out where it should go or exactly where it is. You might, for example, use a compass to situate the hunting camp you're building on your grandfather's land. Your brother might decide to situate his drums in a far corner of the basement, where his banging is less likely to disturb the household. A land surveyor might use a GPS or satellite data to situate the boundaries of a particular property. In the 1530's, situate literally meant "to give a site to," from the Medieval Latin situare, "to place or locate," with the Latin root word situs, "place or position."
Vocabulary lists containing situate
We Dream of Space
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"Total Loss Weekend" by Don Delillo
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Concrete Rose
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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:
Callanan does two things every good biographer should: evoke the personality of the subject and situate him vividly in his environment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
Melodramatic tropes, from the striking of over-the-top poses to thunderous piano underscoring during moments of rising tension, situate “Oh, Mary!” in a bygone theatrical universe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2025
His arguments to the Supreme Court, according to CNN, attempted to situate the issue as one that would impact both his "legal exposure" and that of all future presidents.
From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2024
This question of how to situate our time in the narrative arc of Earth history has thrust the rarefied world of geological timekeepers into an unfamiliar limelight.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 9, 2024
He’s a little muscular, so the weight hurts my shoulders, but Rufus helps situate us both.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
Although the exhibition situates a timeline of the Mughals within global historical reference points—e.g., their artistic golden age began decades before Jamestown was even founded in Virginia—it could have benefited from greater contextualization.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Instead, she situates herself within a lineage of artists who have used public space to reflect and reshape their communities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026
This is where Fabio Parasecoli, a professor of food studies and a native Roman, situates Italian comfort food not as indulgence, but as memory and necessity.
From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2026
In a separate article in The Hindustan Times newspaper, Mr Jacob also situates the recent talks between Delhi and Beijing in a broader frame: the trilateral interplay of India, China and Russia.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2025
She situates me in front of the mirror on the back of her door.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
The explosion happened on a small road situated between two of Athens' most visited sites - the Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
A pyramid of gold-colored rods was situated over the bed.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
Usually the bar is a rowdy reprieve filled with sweaty bodies and pounding bass lines, with Lo situated behind the DJ decks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
The Rasuwagadhi power plant was situated at a spot that made it even more vulnerable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Here, the car pulls into a private garage that is situated next to a small row of jets.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
But it’s worth taking stock of Musk’s sentiment on its own, and situating it within his behavior on the international stage over the past few weeks.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2024
But in characterizing originalism as a “trap” and situating it historically, Dennie's analysis cuts deeper into the harm caused by originalist doctrine, without sacrificing nuance, rigor or scope.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2024
People of this community manage their flow by situating themselves over a gap in the slatted floors of their homes, free-bleeding onto the lush forest greenery below.
From National Geographic ● Nov. 29, 2023
By situating themselves outside of health and addiction but still somewhat health-adjacent, companies like Peoplehood can anticipate customer hesitation: People might balk at social support with a price tag.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2023
And then I burrow into the blankets, situating the ice against my throbbing knee, a tight breath hissing between my teeth.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
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.
