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Synonyms

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.


situation British  
/ ˌsɪtjʊˈeɪʃən /

noun

  1. physical placement, esp with regard to the surroundings

    1. state of affairs; combination of circumstances

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

  2. social or financial status, position, or circumstances

  3. a position of employment; post

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

situation Idioms  

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Without sharing any details, Parker teases the situation will be addressed again next season.

From Los Angeles Times

It was all a bit disjointed, which is similar to the Lakers’ current situation.

From Los Angeles Times

"We've had some quite worrying situations where people have shown me things that have not come from medical professionals," the 29-year-old says.

From BBC

Still, much is unclear about how the situation will play out.

From MarketWatch

Still, much is unclear about how the situation will play out.

From MarketWatch