situation

[sich-oo-ey-shuhn]

noun

1. manner of being situated; location or position with reference to environment.

   The situation of the house allowed for a beautiful view.

   Synonyms: site

2. a place or locality.

3. condition; case; plight.

   He is in a desperate situation.

4. the state of affairs; combination of circumstances.

   The present international situation is dangerous.

5. a position or post of employment; job.

6. a state of affairs of special or critical significance in the course of a play, novel, etc.

7. Sociology.,  the aggregate of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors acting on an individual or group to condition behavioral patterns.

situation

/ ˌsɪtjʊˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. physical placement, esp with regard to the surroundings

2. 1. state of affairs; combination of circumstances

   2. a complex or critical state of affairs in a novel, play, etc

3. social or financial status, position, or circumstances

4. 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

Other Word Forms

• situational adjective
• situationally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of situation¹

First recorded in 1480–90, situation is from the Medieval Latin word situātiōn- (stem of situātiō ). See situate, -ion

Idioms and Phrases

see no-win situation.

Synonym Study

See state. See position.

Example Sentences

"The situation will improve in the coming days," said Soumaïla Djitteye, thanking those involved in transporting the fuel for their "sacrifice and patriotism" and paying tribute to the security forces.

Read more on BBC

Steuer has written books and offers free worksheets on his website to help people think about how much coverage they need and the optimal deductible based on their situation.

Read more on MarketWatch

I wondered what I might have done to improve the situation.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Kimmel had planned to clarify his remarks Sept. 17, but Disney executives feared the comedian was dug in and would only inflame the tense situation.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But here’s the caveat: This is a fluid situation and problems can easily spread to other airports, as officials have already warned.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• case 
• condition 
• place 
• plight 
• position 
• scene