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seat

seat

34 5.7
The main city where a government or organization is based
  • noun
  • /siːt/
: sede
  • A climate of apprehensiveness and resentment pervaded the state and reached the seat of government.
  • seat of government
  • seat of power
  • county seat

The soul of a human is our is our seat of consciousness.

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Examples

  • There is a big effort from Japan to get a seat on the Security Council.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Some hailed Moscow as the Third Rome, the seat of Orthodox Christian faith.

  • - The county seat, it's a good choice.

  • Now let me speak about those in the seats of power.

  • Is it feasible to consider a second China seat in the United Nations?

    Academic text (1995)
  • Back where I come from, we have universities... ...seats of great learning, where men go to become great thinkers.

  • Towns, by contrast, are the seats of the crafts, the sciences, the arts, and culture.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The second-rank people were farther away from the seat of power, of course.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Other heavily built-up nodes include Clearwater, the county seat, and numerous affluent gulf-side residential and tourist communities.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The United Nations is often seen as the seat of international diplomacy, where important discussions take place.

Synonyms

capital
vsseat
506 2.7

The city where a country's government works

is the general word for a center of authority, across levels and metaphorical cases
county seat
vsseat
  • US
7 4.3

A town or city where the county government has its main offices

is the broader term for centers of authority at any level or metaphorical use

Idioms

Being in control of a situation and making the decisions

The right to take part in important decisions

3 9.1

A strong position with power or advantage

To make quick decisions without a plan

To gain a respected place in a group by working hard

Compounds

169 1.0

A strap that keeps a person sitting in a car or plane during an accident

74 1.0

A seat at the front of a car next to the driver

58 1.0

A seat in a car for the driver or passengers

48 1.0

A seat attached to the top of a toilet that you sit on

driver's seat
  • Informal
39 4.1

A position of control where someone makes important decisions

hot seat
  • Informal
27 4.6

A position where someone is under strong pressure and criticism because of their responsibilities

15 2.1

A long bench by a window for sitting and enjoying the view

11 2.7

A small sofa for two people to sit together

10 3.0

A seat that costs little and has a poor view at an event

8 4.4

Private place in a raised box with a good view of the stage or field

7 4.3

A town or city where the county government has its main offices

7 1.3

A soft pad that you put on a seat to make sitting more comfortable

A place very close to the action at a sporting event or show that lets you watch events up close

4 3.1

A low chair shaped to hold one person, like in a car

ejection seat
  • Specialized
4 5.0

A seat in a plane that pushes the pilot out in an emergency so they can use a parachute

ejector seat
  • Specialized
3 5.5

A seat in a plane that pushes the pilot out in an emergency so they can use a parachute

3 5.3

A small folding seat in a vehicle used for extra passengers

2 8.5

Acting on instinct rather than careful planning

mercy seat
  • Literature
1 9.9

A gold lid on the Ark where God meets people and forgives them

rumble seat
  • Archaic
1 9.9

An extra place to sit at the back of an old car that folds and is open to the air

1 1.0

The part of a bicycle that a person sits on

back-seat driver
  • Offensive
1 5.3

A person who gives unwanted advice while someone else does a task

potty seat
  • Baby Talk
1 1.8

A small seat children sit on to learn to use the toilet

1 4.1

A place to sit in rising rows so people behind can see

1 1.1

A place where a passenger sits on an airplane

box seat
  • Archaic
1 8.9

Place where a driver sits on a horse-drawn carriage

death seat
  • Informal
1 8.4

The front passenger seat people think is most dangerous in a car crash

saddle seat
  • Specialized
1 6.6

A slightly curved place to sit like a horse saddle that gives extra comfort

sliding seat
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A seat in a rowing boat that moves on runners so the rower can use their legs

Choosing quickly without careful planning or thought

hot seat
  • NSFW
1 8.8

A chair that kills a person by electricity

bell seat
  • Archaic
9.9

A seat shaped like a bell on some chairs from the 1700s

dickey-seat
  • Archaic
9.9

A small extra folding seat at the back of a two-seat car often open to the weather

dicky-seat
  • Archaic
9.9

A small fold-out seat at the back of an old two-seat car

balloon seat
  • Archaic
9.9

A rounded chair seat that looks like a small puffed cushion on 18th century chairs

seat hogging
  • Informal
5.7

A person who takes more than one seat or extra space in public places

A comfortable place to sit where you can relax

How Central

seat
34 5.7
center
  • US
∞ 1.0
city
∞ 1.0
town
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

seat singular
seats plural

Etymology

Seat comes from the Old English setl, meaning 'place to sit', and over time 'place' also came to mean the centre of power. So the 'seat' of government is the city or place where authority 'sits'.