Skip to main content
Browse
World
World Overview
Atlas
Countries
Disasters
News
Flags of the World
Geography
International Relations
Religion
Statistics
Structures & Buildings
Travel
World Rulers
People
People Overview
Academia & Culture
Arts & Entertainment
Business
Government
Newsmakers
Science
Sports
U.S.
U.S. Overview
Cities
U.S. Documents
Gender Issues
Geography
Government
News
Military
Monuments & Landmarks
Postal Information
Race & Ethnicity
States
Statistics
Arts & Entertainment
Sports
History
History Overview
Timelines
World History
U.S. History
Black History Month
Hispanic Heritage Month
Women's History Month
Math & Science
Math & Science Overview
Aviation
Biology
Computers & Internet
Earth & Environment
Health
Inventions & Discoveries
Mathematics
Physics
Space
Weather
Weights & Measures
Calendar & Holidays
Calendar & Holidays Overview
Calendars
Holidays
Seasons, Months, Days
Perpetual Calendar
Business
Business Overview
Business
Consumer Resources
Currency
Economy
Employment & Labor
Personal Finance
Poverty & Income
Taxes
Primary Sources
Primary Sources Overview
Books & Plays
Fables & Fairy Tales
Government
History & Biography
Philosophy & Religion
Poetry
Speeches & Essays
Ask the Editors
View All Questions & Answers
Tools
Conversion Calculator
Latitude & Longitude
Perpetual Calendar
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Spellcheck
Distance Calculator
Periodic Table
Videos
Atlas
Encyclopedia
Games
Quizzes
Top 10s
Day In History
Search
Home
Dictionary
Index S
settle: Meaning and Definition of
Find definitions for:
set•tle
Pronunciation:
(set'l),
[key]
— v., -tled, -tling.
—v.t.
to appoint, fix, or resolve definitely and conclusively; agree upon (as time, price, or conditions).
to place in a desired state or in order:
to settle one's affairs.
to pay, as a bill.
to close (an account) by payment.
to migrate to and organize (an area, territory, etc.); colonize:
The pilgrims settled Plymouth.
to cause to take up residence:
They settled immigrants in urban areas.
to furnish (a place) with inhabitants or settlers:
The French settled this colony with army veterans.
to quiet, calm, or bring to rest (the nerves, stomach, etc.).
to stop from annoying or opposing:
A sharp word will settle that youngster.
to conclude or resolve:
to settle a dispute.
to make stable; place in a permanent position or on a permanent basis.
to cause (a liquid) to become clear by depositing dregs.
to cause (dregs, sediment, etc.) to sink or be deposited.
to cause to sink down gradually; make firm or compact.
to dispose of finally; close up:
to settle an estate.
to secure (property, title, etc.) on or to a person by formal or legal process.
to terminate (legal proceedings) by mutual consent of the parties.
—v.i.
to decide, arrange, or agree (often fol. by on or upon):
to settle on a plan of action.
to arrange matters in dispute; come to an agreement:
to settle with a person.
to pay a bill; make a financial arrangement (often fol. by up).
to take up residence in a new country or place:
Many Frenchmen settled along the Mississippi River following La Salle's explorations.
to come to rest, as from flight:
A bird settled on a bough.
to gather, collect, or become fixed in a particular place, direction, etc.:
A cold settled in my head.
to become calm or composed (often fol. by down):
I'll wait until the class settles before starting the lesson.
to come to rest (often fol. by down):
We settled down for the night at an old country inn.
to sink down gradually; subside.
to become clear by the sinking of suspended particles, as a liquid.
to sink to the bottom, as sediment.
to become firm or compact, as the ground.
(of a female animal) to become pregnant; conceive.
There were so many distractions that we weren't able to settle down to studying.
to become established in some routine, esp. upon marrying, after a period of independence or indecision.
to become calm or quiet.
to apply oneself to serious work:There were so many distractions that we weren't able to settle down to studying.
to be satisfied with:
to settle for less.
to become established in:
to settle into a new routine.
set•tle
Pronunciation:
(set'l),
[key]
— n.
a long seat or bench, usually wooden, with arms and a high back.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary,
Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also:
settle
(Thesaurus)
setting-up exercises
settlement
Trending
Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.
World's Most Corrupt Leaders & Politicians
Western Christian Holidays, 2010-2030
The Best Movie Quotes of All Time!
Top 10 Biggest Waterfalls in the World (Tallest, Widest, & Most Volume!)
Books of the Bible: New Testament Books in Order
Animal Group Terminology
Related Content
Daily Word Quiz:
panglossian
Analogy of the Day:
Today’s Analogy
Frequently Misspelled Words
Frequently Mispronounced Words
Easily Confused Words
Writing & Language
✖
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information