Situation Meaning
/ˌsɪt.juːˈeɪ.ʃən/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe combination of circumstances at a given moment; a state of affairs.
nounThe way in which something is positioned vis-à-vis its surroundings.
Sentence Examples
The situation is worse than we believed.
You are not excused from the responsibility for this serious situation.
It is interesting to compare their situation and ours.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
Because the bridge collapsed, we faced a critical ____ that required quick action.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The emergency ____ required immediate action from the local police and firefighters.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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:
"[…]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:
"[…] 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:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Because the bridge collapsed, we faced a critical ____ that required quick action.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The emergency ____ required immediate action from the local police and firefighters.