situationship

American  

[sich-oo-ey-shuhn-ship] / ˌsɪtʃ uˈeɪ ʃən ʃɪp /

noun

Informal.

1. a romantic or sexual relationship that its participants have not defined, and which can also lack commitment or exclusivity.

   After two years of a messy situationship, she was looking for someone who wanted to settle down.

---

Etymology

Origin of situationship

First recorded in 2005–10; situation ( def. ) + (relation)ship ( def. )

Example Sentences

But from its premiere in December 2021, the sequel to the popular HBO series was like a situationship viewers could never fully get a handle on.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 1, 2025

Watching Levano’s video, I couldn’t help but feel like many of us are essentially in a toxic situationship with discount culture.

From Slate • Mar. 1, 2025

But really, it doesn't matter what you're doing, it's just about having a supportive group of friends who can tell you when it's time to ditch your toxic Daniel Cleaver-esque situationship.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2025

But why does it feel like the upcoming year is just another middling situationship I’m ghosting?

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2025

Today, Laufey reads Coco Mellors’s essay, “An Anxious Person Tries to Be Chill,” which is about a woman trying to work through her deep-seated relationship anxieties and attachment issues in an on-again, off-again situationship.

From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2024