situation
nounUS, UK /ˌsɪt.juːˈeɪ.ʃən/ · CA, US /ˌsɪ.t͡ʃuˈ(w)eɪ.ʃən/
Etymology From Middle English situacioun, situacion, from Middle French situation, from Medieval Latin situatio (“position, situation”), from situare (“to locate, place”), from Latin situs (“a site”). By surface analysis, situate + -ion.
8 senses
- 1The combination of circumstances at a given moment; a…
- 2The way in which something is positioned vis-à-vis its…
- 3The place in which something is situated; a location.
- 4Position or status with regard to conditions and circumstances.
- 5A position of employment; a post.
- 6A difficult or unpleasant set of circumstances; a problem.
- 7An individual movie theater.
- 8An outfit, garment, or look.
1
The combination of circumstances at a given moment; a state of affairs.
- The United States is in an awkward situation with debt default looming.
- Then we relapsed into a discomfited silence, and wished we were anywhere else. But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud, and with such a hearty enjoyment that instead of getting angry and more mortified we began to laugh ourselves, and instantly felt better.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
1 more example
- By 29, my financial situation wasn’t just disorganized, it was untenable. I didn’t have enough money to cover a single unexpected expense, and my credit card balance wasn’t going down; the interest was outpacing me.2026 April 22, Jillian Sanders, “The Danger of Surrendering Your Financial Independence in a Relationship”, in TIME, archived from the original on 22 Apr 2026:
2
The way in which something is positioned vis-à-vis its surroundings.
- The Botanical Gardens are in a delightful situation on the river bank.
- […]he being naturally an underground animal by birth and breeding, the situation of Badger's house exactly suited him and made him feel at home; while the Rat, who slept every night in a bedroom the windows of which opened on a breezy river, naturally felt the atmosphere still and oppressive.1908 October, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC:
3
The place in which something is situated; a location.
- […] one of the most pleasant situations in America. With the exception of one melancholy season, no town in the union, of its size, has had a greater share of the inestimable blessing of health.1801, Timothy Alden, The Glory of America. A Century Sermon, Delivered at the South Church, in Portsmouth, Newhampshire ... Together with ... Historical Notes, and an Appendix, Containing an Account of Newspapers Printed in the State, page 37:
- [Hibíscus] speciòsus is the most splendid, and deserves a situation in every garden.1833, Thomas Hibbert, Robert Buist, The American Flower Garden Directory, page 142:
1 more example
- I described the situation as well as I could, and was entering upon an explanation of the various roads, lanes, and fields to be traversed in order to reach it, the goings straight on, and turnings to the right, and the left[…]1848, Anne Brontë, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, page 37:
4
Position or status with regard to conditions and circumstances.
5
UK A position of employment; a post.
- ‘Let me hear another sound from you,’ said Scrooge, ‘and you’ll keep your Christmas by losing your situation!1843, Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol:
- When he was nineteen, he suddenly left the 'Co-op' office, and got a situation in Nottingham.1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “Chapter 3”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:
1 more example
- You take a morning paper from the top of the stack And read the situations from the front to the back The only job that's open need a man with a knack So put it right back in the rack Jack.1946, Vaughn Horton, Denver Darling, Milt Gabler, Choo Choo Ch'Boogie:
6
A difficult or unpleasant set of circumstances; a problem.
- Boss, we've got a situation here…
7
US An individual movie theater.
- This survey includes all key situations (including Paramount Gulf Theaters) as well as suburban runs and small-town situations.1950, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means, Revenue Revision of 1950: Hearings Before the Committee, page 1805:
- […] Craterian theatre, with a full-scale advance campaign and preliminary screenings held for opinion-makers. Results and reactions will be closely studied and, if popular, the idea will be extended to other situations.1960, Motion Picture Herald, volumes 218-219, page 14:
8
Slang An outfit, garment, or look.
- She is working some sort of amazing burgundy chiffon situation with gold piping.
- Derived terms
- chicken-and-egg situation, clinical situation, in-basket situation, interesting situation, limit situation, resituation, shituation, situational, situation awareness, situationism, situationist, situationless, situation room, situationship, situation theory, special situation, sticky situation
- Related terms
- site, situate, situated, situation comedy, sitcom