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

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

---

situation Idioms  

1. see no-win situation.

---

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

Synonym Usage

See state. See position.

Other Word Forms

Derived 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

Explanation

Situation is related to the verb "situate," which means to place. A building might be situated on the top of a hill — that's its position or situation. You've probably heard the term "sitcom," but may not realize it is short for "situation comedy," or a comedy where the humor is based on a set of quirky circumstances the characters find themselves placed in. A situation can also mean a set of circumstances that you find yourself placed in: holding both halves of a crazy aunt's broken vase could be a sticky situation — perfect for a situation comedy.

Example Sentences

“This opportunity comes with the responsibility to remain focused on my personal growth, the ability to learn from this experience, and to be able to use my situation to help others going forward.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

That situation describes the SpaceX lockup situation, too.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

"I can only respond in the words of our president. He said this situation must be resolved soon," replied the MP.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

“I don’t foresee a situation where you’d need to think about the bottom of the tank,” echoed Jaime Brito, executive director of refining and oil products at Dow Jones Energy.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026

“How I put my family in a difficult situation and hadn’t wanted to admit that.”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

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