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

“He’s just one of my favorite people to have around in any situation,” Sheen said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The situation is so tense in the capital, Yaoundé, that almost all shops and schools have remained closed, while most civil servants and office workers stayed home.

Read more on BBC

Aid officials worried the humanitarian situation in Darfur, already considered the world’s worst, could become even more grim now that the rebels face no military opposition in the region.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"The situation in Russia is still quite tense, so it didn't work," he said.

Read more on Barron's

Silver linings don’t eclipse misfortune but, as their name implies, they can make a less-than-ideal situation a little brighter.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

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