situation

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See also: Situation

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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). Equivalent to situate +‎ -ion.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • enPR: sĭt-yo͞o-ā'shən, sĭch-o͞o-ā'shən, IPA(key): /ˌsɪt.juːˈeɪ.ʃən/, /ˌsɪ.t͡ʃuˈ(w)eɪ.ʃən/
    • (file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun[edit]

situation (plural situations)

  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.
  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.
    • 1908 October, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC:
      [] 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.
  3. The place in which something is situated; a location.
    • 1833, Thomas Hibbert, Robert Buist, The American Flower Garden Directory, page 142:
      [Hibíscus] speciòsus is the most splendid, and deserves a situation in every garden.
  4. Position or status with regard to conditions and circumstances.
  5. (UK) A position of employment; a post.
    • 1843, Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol:
      ‘Let me hear another sound from you,’ said Scrooge, ‘and you’ll keep your Christmas by losing your situation!
    • 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “Chapter 3”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. [], →OCLC:
      When he was nineteen, he suddenly left the 'Co-op' office, and got a situation in Nottingham.
    • 1946, Vaughn Horton, Denver Darling, Milt Gabler, Choo Choo Ch'Boogie:
      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.
  6. A difficult or unpleasant set of circumstances; a problem.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:difficult situation
    Boss, we've got a situation here…
  7. (US, film industry) An individual movie theater.
    • 1950, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means, Revenue Revision of 1950: Hearings Before the Committee, page 1805:
      This survey includes all key situations (including Paramount Gulf Theaters) as well as suburban runs and small-town situations.
    • 1960, Motion Picture Herald, volumes 218-219, page 14:
      [] 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.
  8. (slang) An outfit, garment, or look.
    She is working some sort of amazing burgundy chiffon situation with gold piping.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From situer +‎ -ation.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

situation f (plural situations)

  1. situation (all meanings)

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Interlingua[edit]

Noun[edit]

situation (plural situationes)

  1. situation, state of affairs

Swedish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /sɪtvaˈɧuːn/, /sɪtɵaˈɧuːn/
  • (file)

Noun[edit]

situation c

  1. a situation

Declension[edit]

Declension of situation 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative situation situationen situationer situationerna
Genitive situations situationens situationers situationernas

Synonyms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

References[edit]