situation
Americannoun
-
manner of being situated; location or position with reference to environment.
The situation of the house allowed for a beautiful view.
- Synonyms:
- site
-
a place or locality.
-
condition; case; plight.
He is in a desperate situation.
-
the state of affairs; combination of circumstances.
The present international situation is dangerous.
-
a position or post of employment; job.
-
a state of affairs of special or critical significance in the course of a play, novel, etc.
-
Sociology. the aggregate of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors acting on an individual or group to condition behavioral patterns.
noun
-
physical placement, esp with regard to the surroundings
-
-
state of affairs; combination of circumstances
-
a complex or critical state of affairs in a novel, play, etc
-
-
social or financial status, position, or circumstances
-
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
Related Words
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.
"In any situation where someone is in difficulty in the water, please call 999 immediately and ask for the fire and rescue service," it added.
From BBC
The situation differs from 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a historic surge in oil prices.
From Barron's
Downing Street's public account of what was discussed was, to put it gently, rather broad: "They discussed the situation in the Middle East," the readout said.
From BBC
This situation remains fluid and developing, with legal challenges and international reactions continuing to evolve.
From Salon
Emma Little-Pengelly virtually attended a briefing with senior UK government security advisers about the situation in the Middle East, alongside the first ministers of Scotland and Wales.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
