situation

[ sich-oo-ey-shuhn ]

noun

1. manner of being situated; location or position with reference to environment:

   The situation of the house allowed for a beautiful view.

   Synonyms: site

2. a place or locality.
3. condition; case; plight:

   He is in a desperate situation.

4. the state of affairs; combination of circumstances:

   The present international situation is dangerous.

5. a position or post of employment; job.
6. a state of affairs of special or critical significance in the course of a play, novel, etc.
7. Sociology. the aggregate of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors acting on an individual or group to condition behavioral patterns.

situation

/ ˌsɪtjʊˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. physical placement, esp with regard to the surroundings
2. 1. state of affairs; combination of circumstances
   2. a complex or critical state of affairs in a novel, play, etc
3. social or financial status, position, or circumstances
4. 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

Derived Forms

• ˌsituˈational, adjective

Other Words From

• situ·ation·al adjective
• situ·ation·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of situation¹

First recorded in 1480–90, situation is from the Medieval Latin word situātiōn- (stem of situātiō ). See situate, -ion

Idioms and Phrases

see no-win situation .

Synonym Study

See state. See position.

Example Sentences

O'Neill said that it's a "challenging situation" and the the executive does not want workers to go on strike.

From BBC

“When the white population of the USA realizes the truth of the situation, war will erupt,” he wrote.

From Salon

"We are determined to turn that situation around," he added, pointing to an extra £4bn in new funding for councils in last month's Budget.

From BBC

It presents these people in an incredibly complicated situation, and it doesn’t make any moral judgments,” they said.

From Los Angeles Times

The emergency was the last few weeks; now we have a new situation.

From Salon

Related Words

• case
• condition
• place
• plight
• position
• scene