وضع

Arabic

Etymology 1.1

Root
و ض ع (w ḍ ʕ)
12 terms

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa.dˤa.ʕa/

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

وَضَعَ • (waḍaʕa) I (non-past يَضَعُ (yaḍaʕu), verbal noun وَضْع (waḍʕ) or مَوْضَع (mawḍaʕ) or مَوْضِع (mawḍiʕ))

1. (transitive) to put; to lay; to place; to set; to position; to install; to implant

   وَضَعْتُ يَدَيَّ عَلَى أُذْنَيَّ فَمَا سَمِعْتُ قَوْلَهُ.

   waḍaʕtu yadayya ʕalā ʔuḏnayya fa-mā samiʕtu qawlahu.

   I put my hands over my ears and did not hear what he said.

2. (transitive) to lump, to group; to put together

   Synonyms: جَمَعَ (jamaʕa), رَثَدَ (raṯada)

   1. (transitive, of a female) to lay and cluster (eggs) in a nest
3. (transitive) to store away, to stow away, to deposit; to put down, to lay down
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 94:2:

     وَوَضَعْنَا عَنْكَ وِزْرَكَ.

     wa-waḍaʕnā ʕanka wizraka.

     And We put down from you your burden.

   Synonym: خَزَّنَ (ḵazzana, “to store”)

4. (transitive) to stop holding or using (a tool or an instrument, such as a weapon), to put away or down, to lay down; to put aside
   1. (transitive) to cancel (a law, a regulation, and so on), to abrogate; to set aside

      Synonyms: أَلْغَى (ʔalḡā, “to cancel”), أَبْطَلَ (ʔabṭala, “to nullify; to invalidate”), نَسَخَ (nasaḵa, “to abrogate; to supersede”)

   2. (transitive) to remove (clothes); to put off or down, to lay off or down, to doff; to take off

      Synonym: خَلَعَ (ḵalaʕa, “to take off (clothes or accessories)”)

   3. (transitive, of a female) to give birth to (a baby), to deliver, to bear

      Synonym: وَلَدَ (walada, “to give birth to, to mother”)

5. (transitive) to posit (a law, a regulation, and so on); to impose; to set down, to lay down

   Synonyms: كَتَبَ (kataba, “to prescribe”), شَرَعَ (šaraʕa, “to command”)

   1. (transitive) to posit (an explanation, a theory, and so on); to propose, to set forth; to put down
6. (transitive) to add

   Synonym: أَضَافَ (ʔaḍāfa)

   1. (transitive) to interpose (something, as in a text or a literature, especially falsely), to insert; to interpolate; to put in

      Synonyms: اِخْتَلَقَ (iḵtalaqa, “to make up, to invent”), اِفْتَرَى (iftarā, “to forge”)

7. (transitive, rare) to see or treat as lowly, to demean

   Synonym: أَذَلَّ (ʔaḏalla)

Conjugation

Conjugation of وَضَعَ (I, assimilated, a ~ a, full passive, verbal nouns وَضْع, مَوْضَع, مَوْضِع)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						وَضْع, مَوْضَع, مَوْضِع waḍʕ, mawḍaʕ, mawḍiʕ
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						وَاضِع wāḍiʕ
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مَوْضُوع mawḍūʕ
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	وَضَعْتُ waḍaʕtu	وَضَعْتَ waḍaʕta	وَضَعَ waḍaʕa		وَضَعْتُمَا waḍaʕtumā	وَضَعَا waḍaʕā		وَضَعْنَا waḍaʕnā	وَضَعْتُمْ waḍaʕtum	وَضَعُوا waḍaʕū
	f		وَضَعْتِ waḍaʕti	وَضَعَتْ waḍaʕat			وَضَعَتَا waḍaʕatā			وَضَعْتُنَّ waḍaʕtunna	وَضَعْنَ waḍaʕna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَضَعُ ʔaḍaʕu	تَضَعُ taḍaʕu	يَضَعُ yaḍaʕu		تَضَعَانِ taḍaʕāni	يَضَعَانِ yaḍaʕāni		نَضَعُ naḍaʕu	تَضَعُونَ taḍaʕūna	يَضَعُونَ yaḍaʕūna
	f		تَضَعِينَ taḍaʕīna	تَضَعُ taḍaʕu			تَضَعَانِ taḍaʕāni			تَضَعْنَ taḍaʕna	يَضَعْنَ yaḍaʕna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَضَعَ ʔaḍaʕa	تَضَعَ taḍaʕa	يَضَعَ yaḍaʕa		تَضَعَا taḍaʕā	يَضَعَا yaḍaʕā		نَضَعَ naḍaʕa	تَضَعُوا taḍaʕū	يَضَعُوا yaḍaʕū
	f		تَضَعِي taḍaʕī	تَضَعَ taḍaʕa			تَضَعَا taḍaʕā			تَضَعْنَ taḍaʕna	يَضَعْنَ yaḍaʕna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَضَعْ ʔaḍaʕ	تَضَعْ taḍaʕ	يَضَعْ yaḍaʕ		تَضَعَا taḍaʕā	يَضَعَا yaḍaʕā		نَضَعْ naḍaʕ	تَضَعُوا taḍaʕū	يَضَعُوا yaḍaʕū
	f		تَضَعِي taḍaʕī	تَضَعْ taḍaʕ			تَضَعَا taḍaʕā			تَضَعْنَ taḍaʕna	يَضَعْنَ yaḍaʕna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		ضَعْ ḍaʕ			ضَعَا ḍaʕā				ضَعُوا ḍaʕū
	f		ضَعِي ḍaʕī							ضَعْنَ ḍaʕna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	وُضِعْتُ wuḍiʕtu	وُضِعْتَ wuḍiʕta	وُضِعَ wuḍiʕa		وُضِعْتُمَا wuḍiʕtumā	وُضِعَا wuḍiʕā		وُضِعْنَا wuḍiʕnā	وُضِعْتُمْ wuḍiʕtum	وُضِعُوا wuḍiʕū
	f		وُضِعْتِ wuḍiʕti	وُضِعَتْ wuḍiʕat			وُضِعَتَا wuḍiʕatā			وُضِعْتُنَّ wuḍiʕtunna	وُضِعْنَ wuḍiʕna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُوضَعُ ʔūḍaʕu	تُوضَعُ tūḍaʕu	يُوضَعُ yūḍaʕu		تُوضَعَانِ tūḍaʕāni	يُوضَعَانِ yūḍaʕāni		نُوضَعُ nūḍaʕu	تُوضَعُونَ tūḍaʕūna	يُوضَعُونَ yūḍaʕūna
	f		تُوضَعِينَ tūḍaʕīna	تُوضَعُ tūḍaʕu			تُوضَعَانِ tūḍaʕāni			تُوضَعْنَ tūḍaʕna	يُوضَعْنَ yūḍaʕna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُوضَعَ ʔūḍaʕa	تُوضَعَ tūḍaʕa	يُوضَعَ yūḍaʕa		تُوضَعَا tūḍaʕā	يُوضَعَا yūḍaʕā		نُوضَعَ nūḍaʕa	تُوضَعُوا tūḍaʕū	يُوضَعُوا yūḍaʕū
	f		تُوضَعِي tūḍaʕī	تُوضَعَ tūḍaʕa			تُوضَعَا tūḍaʕā			تُوضَعْنَ tūḍaʕna	يُوضَعْنَ yūḍaʕna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُوضَعْ ʔūḍaʕ	تُوضَعْ tūḍaʕ	يُوضَعْ yūḍaʕ		تُوضَعَا tūḍaʕā	يُوضَعَا yūḍaʕā		نُوضَعْ nūḍaʕ	تُوضَعُوا tūḍaʕū	يُوضَعُوا yūḍaʕū
	f		تُوضَعِي tūḍaʕī	تُوضَعْ tūḍaʕ			تُوضَعَا tūḍaʕā			تُوضَعْنَ tūḍaʕna	يُوضَعْنَ yūḍaʕna

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “وضع”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[1], London: W.H. Allen
• Wehr, Hans (1979) “وضع”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

Etymology 1.2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wadˤʕ/

Noun

وَضْع • (waḍʕ) m (plural أَوْضَاع (ʔawḍāʕ))

1. verbal noun of وَضَعَ (waḍaʕa) (form I)
2. putting down, putting, setting

   وَضْع الْبَقَاء / الْإِبْدَاع / الْمُتَشَدِّد / الْمُغَامَرَة / الْمُشَاهِد

   waḍʕ al-baqāʔ / al-ʔibdāʕ / al-mutašaddid / al-muḡāmara(t) / al-mušāhid

   survival / creative / hardcore / adventure / spectator mode

3. humiliation, deposition
4. parturition
5. miscarriage
6. creating, inventing, composing
7. position, site
8. situation
9. attitude, behavior, manners
10. proceeding, way of acting
11. case
12. plan, intention
13. external form, figure, shape
14. institute, establishment
15. literary composition, work
16. subtraction, abatement

    وَضْعًا وَقَوْلًا ― waḍʕan wa-qawlan ― in deeds and words

Declension

Declension of noun وَضْع (waḍʕ)

singular	basic singular triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	وَضْع waḍʕ	الْوَضْع al-waḍʕ	وَضْع waḍʕ
nominative	وَضْعٌ waḍʕun	الْوَضْعُ al-waḍʕu	وَضْعُ waḍʕu
accusative	وَضْعًا waḍʕan	الْوَضْعَ al-waḍʕa	وَضْعَ waḍʕa
genitive	وَضْعٍ waḍʕin	الْوَضْعِ al-waḍʕi	وَضْعِ waḍʕi
dual	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	وَضْعَيْن waḍʕayn	الْوَضْعَيْن al-waḍʕayn	وَضْعَيْ waḍʕay
nominative	وَضْعَانِ waḍʕāni	الْوَضْعَانِ al-waḍʕāni	وَضْعَا waḍʕā
accusative	وَضْعَيْنِ waḍʕayni	الْوَضْعَيْنِ al-waḍʕayni	وَضْعَيْ waḍʕay
genitive	وَضْعَيْنِ waḍʕayni	الْوَضْعَيْنِ al-waḍʕayni	وَضْعَيْ waḍʕay
plural	basic broken plural triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	أَوْضَاع ʔawḍāʕ	الْأَوْضَاع al-ʔawḍāʕ	أَوْضَاع ʔawḍāʕ
nominative	أَوْضَاعٌ ʔawḍāʕun	الْأَوْضَاعُ al-ʔawḍāʕu	أَوْضَاعُ ʔawḍāʕu
accusative	أَوْضَاعًا ʔawḍāʕan	الْأَوْضَاعَ al-ʔawḍāʕa	أَوْضَاعَ ʔawḍāʕa
genitive	أَوْضَاعٍ ʔawḍāʕin	الْأَوْضَاعِ al-ʔawḍāʕi	أَوْضَاعِ ʔawḍāʕi

Descendants

• → Azerbaijani: vəz
• → Ottoman Turkish: وضع (vaz)
• → Persian: وضع (vaz')

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “وضع”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[2], London: W.H. Allen

Hijazi Arabic

Root
و ض ع
1 term

Etymology

From Arabic وَضْع (waḍʕ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wadˤʕ/

Noun

وضع • (waḍʕ) m (plural أوضاع (ʔawḍāʕ))

1. situation

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic وَضْع (waḍʕ).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [wazʔ]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [wäzʔ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [wäzʔ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [wäz]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [wäz]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [væzʔ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [väzʔ]

Readings
Classical reading?	waz'
Dari reading?	waz'
Iranian reading?	vaz'
Tajik reading?	vaz'

• Audio (Iran):

  (file)

Noun

Dari	وضع
Iranian Persian
Tajik	вазъ

وَضع • (vaz') (plural اُوضاع (owzâ'), or وَضع‌ها (vaz'-hâ))

1. condition, situation, state

   Synonyms: وضعیت (vaz'iyat), حال (hâl)

   • c. 1260s, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, مثنوی معنوی [Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi], volume II, verse 3608:

     ز انکه مریم وقت وضع حمل خویش / بود از بیگانه دور و هم ز خویش

     z-ân-ke maryam vaqt-e vaz'-e haml-e xiš / bud az bigâne dur o ham ze xiš

     Mary in [her] pregnant state was not joined by any one: she did not return from without the town.

2. manner, way of acting
   • c. 1760, محمد یوسف خان [Muḥammad Yūsuf Khān], translated by Hannah Lord Archambault, in "Geographies of Influence: Two Afghan Military Households in 17th and 18th Century South India" (2018, PhD), تاریخ فتحیه [Tārikh-i Fatḥiya]‎^[3]:

     وَ این تُرکتاز خان دَر دَکَّن مُتَوَلِّد شُده، خود را با وَضعِ مَرَتهه‌ها ساخته، دَر لِباس و خَوراک و مُخالِطَت با مَرَتهه‌ها قِسمی مُواقَفَت داشت که سَرِ مو اَز وَضعِ آنها با این تَفاوَت مَحسوس نِمی‌کَردَند. وَ دَر رَویه جَنگ نیز مِثلِ مَرَتهه‌ها بود.

     va in torktâz xân dar dakkan motavalled šode, xod-râ bâ vaz'-e marathe-hâ sâxte, dar lebâs o xorâk o moxâletat bâ marathe-hâ qesm-i movâqafat dâšt ke sar-e mu az vaz'-e ânhâ bâ in tafâvat mahsus ne-mi-kardand. va dar raviye-ye jang niz mesl-e marathe-hâ bud.

     And this Turktāz Khān [was] born in the Deccan and presented himself in the manner of the Marathas. In [his] clothing and food and conversation their they had such a degree of similarity that not a hair from their heads could be distinguished. In style of warfare also he was like the Marathas.

3. enactment

   Synonym: تصویب (tasvib)

4. subtraction, deduction

South Levantine Arabic

Root
و ض ع
1 term

Etymology

From Arabic وَضْع (waḍʕ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wadˤʕ/, [wɑdˤʕ]

• Audio (al-Lidd):

  (file)

Noun

وضع • (waḍʕ) m (plural أوضاع (ʔawḍāʕ))

1. situation, position

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian وَضْع (waz'), from Arabic وَضْع (waḍʕ). First attested in c. 1611 as Middle Hindi وضع (vẓ').

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ʋəz(ʔ)/
• (common) IPA^(key): /ʋə.zɑː/
• Rhymes: -ɑː

Noun

وَضْع • (vaz') f (Hindi spelling वज़ा)

1. making; devising; forming; invention
2. shape; appearance
3. manner; mode
4. style; order; manner
5. type; kind; form
6. delivery; produce (ie. a child)
7. custom (ie. a tradition)

Declension

Declension of وضع

	singular	plural
direct	وَضْع (vaz')	وَضْعیں (vaz'ẽ)
oblique	وَضْع (vaz')	وَضْعوں (vaz'õ)
vocative	وَضْع (vaz')	وَضْعو (vaz'o)

Further reading

More information

• “وضع”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971) “وضع”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary‎, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co.
• Platts, John T. (1884) “وضع”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
• S. W. Fallon (1879) “وضع”, in A New Hindustani-English Dictionary, Banaras, London: Trubner and Co.
• John Shakespear (1834) “وضع”, in A dictionary, Hindustani and English: with a copious index, fitting the work to serve, also, as a dictionary of English and Hindustani, 3^rd edition, London: J.L. Cox and Son, →OCLC