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

One part of their game that has been particularly concerning is their defending of corners, having conceded seven goals from these situations in five games.

From BBC

“The puzzle doesn’t fit together,” said one veteran agent who works in the NIL space, speaking on condition of anonymity so that he could share his thoughts on the situation candidly.

From Los Angeles Times

That being the case, do the Dodgers plan to use him in high-leverage situations to learn how he performs in late-inning situations?

From Los Angeles Times

Mr Bosh described the situation in the hotel as difficult while he had been ill with Covid.

From BBC

UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander also said she was aware of the incident and was "getting regular updates and monitoring the situation".

From BBC

Related Words

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