situate
Americanverb (used with object)
adjective
verb
adjective
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
situatesimple
-
situatessimple
-
have situatedperfect
-
has situatedperfect
-
am situatingprogressive
-
are situatingprogressive
-
is situatingprogressive
-
have been situatingperfect progressive
-
has been situatingperfect progressive
Past
-
situatedsimple
-
had situatedperfect
-
was situatingprogressive
-
were situatingprogressive
-
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
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!
"Total Loss Weekend" by Don Delillo
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!
Concrete Rose
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.
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
With less tritium required, the overall size of the fusion power plant can be reduced, making it easier to license, situate and construct.
From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2024
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 made his way to Philadelphia, where he hoped to situate himself in a drugstore and eventually to become a partner or owner.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
