situation
Americannoun
-
situations
plural
-
manner of being situated; location or position with reference to environment.
The situation of the house allowed for a beautiful view.
- Synonyms:
- site
-
a place or locality.
-
condition; case; plight.
He is in a desperate situation.
-
the state of affairs; combination of circumstances.
The present international situation is dangerous.
-
a position or post of employment; job.
-
a state of affairs of special or critical significance in the course of a play, novel, etc.
-
Sociology. the aggregate of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors acting on an individual or group to condition behavioral patterns.
noun
-
physical placement, esp with regard to the surroundings
-
-
state of affairs; combination of circumstances
-
a complex or critical state of affairs in a novel, play, etc
-
-
social or financial status, position, or circumstances
-
a position of employment; post
Usage
Situation is often used in contexts in which it is redundant or imprecise. Typical examples are: the company is in a crisis situation or people in a job situation. In the first example, situation does not add to the meaning and should be omitted. In the second example, it would be clearer and more concise to substitute a phrase such as people at work
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of situation
First recorded in 1480–90, situation is from the Medieval Latin word situātiōn- (stem of situātiō ). See situate, -ion
Explanation
Situation is related to the verb "situate," which means to place. A building might be situated on the top of a hill — that's its position or situation. You've probably heard the term "sitcom," but may not realize it is short for "situation comedy," or a comedy where the humor is based on a set of quirky circumstances the characters find themselves placed in. A situation can also mean a set of circumstances that you find yourself placed in: holding both halves of a crazy aunt's broken vase could be a sticky situation — perfect for a situation comedy.
Vocabulary lists containing situation
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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 New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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 ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 4
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:
He discovered Soldier On while living in his car and searching for resources to help him get out of that situation.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026
The reality of Krinsky’s situation hit him one night, he said, when he was the last person at his plant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
A party loyalist, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, compared the current situation to Hasina's return in 1981 after the assassination of her father and most of her family in a military coup.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026
Imola was asked on Tuesday to stand down preparations - but F1 says that if the situation in the Middle East deteriorates it is still prepared to cancel the two races.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
Rowdy didn’t help the situation in the least.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
We’ve tested out the Expedition in a variety of situations, from real-world family transportation to crawling through the mud off-road.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026
She said that Walliams invited her to move in with him while she was "in between living situations".
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
Sheena Jindal, managing partner and founder of Sugar Free Capital, said she has seen situations in which it is easier to raise $2 million than get an entry-level job.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
"Too Young to Grieve is a really lovely way of bringing people together that are in similar situations," she said.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
Spirits appeared in some situations, but not others—to some people, but not all.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
