situation

American  

[sich-oo-ey-shuhn] / ˌsɪtʃ uˈeɪ ʃən /

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.

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situation British  

/ 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

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situation Idioms  

1. see no-win situation.

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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

Related Words

See state. See position.

Other Word Forms

• situational adjective
• situationally adverb

Etymology

Origin of situation

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

Example Sentences

Autonomous vehicle companies envision a future where most humans don’t need to touch a steering wheel and argue that replacing drivers will go a long way toward minimizing dangerous situations.

From MarketWatch

But Isabel Losada’s book encourages readers to undertake a seemingly impossible mission: finding delight in navigating the absurd situations that committed environmentalists inevitably face, rather than succumbing to frustration.

From Los Angeles Times

In a separate situation, Lopez said, an 18-year-old has been suddenly thrust into caring for two siblings after her mother, a single parent, was deported.

From Los Angeles Times

They added: "We understand how difficult this situation is for the landowner. It is unacceptable that criminals are damaging their property to dump waste."

From BBC

"When multiple triggering factors combine with meteorological conditions, such a situation may occur," he told the private NTV broadcaster.

From Barron's

Related Words

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