Skip to main content
situation

situation

1.9
The conditions someone or something is in at a time
  • noun
  • /ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃən/
translation icon : situación
  • We must assess the situation before making any decisions about the project.
  • the current situation
  • a difficult situation
  • a stressful situation

Thankfully we have not had that situation in years.

Autoplay Next

Examples

Synonyms

state
vssituation
1.6

The condition of someone or something at a particular time

is more general, focusing on all surrounding circumstances
condition
vssituation
893 2.1

How good or bad something is at a particular time

is broader, covering all surrounding circumstances not only quality
picture
vssituation
713 4.8

The general situation or facts about something

focuses more on the actual set of circumstances rather than perception
status
vssituation
658 2.9

A current condition of something at a specific time

is broader, referring to the whole set of surrounding circumstances
setting
vssituation
317 3.2

The place and time where an event or story happens

is wider, covering all conditions and factors beyond physical location
state of affairs
vssituation
33 3.4

The general situation at a certain time

is the simple, general label for that same overall context
circumstances
vssituation
1 2.2

The situation that affects a person's life, especially their money and home

is wider, including non material elements and the complete set of facts
conditions
vssituation
1 1.4

The situation that affects how people live or work

is a more general term for the entire set of those influencing factors

Idioms

A very strong, rude way to say a situation is extreme or absurd

Compounds

A time when people could be hurt or killed

A situation where every choice leads to a bad result

A funny TV or radio show about the same people in everyday life

A difficult situation that is hard to deal with

situation analysis
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A careful study of a company's inside and outside factors to find what helps or harms its plans

9.9

A very bad chaotic situation that causes a lot of trouble

A difficult problem with no easy solution

A situation with little stress or urgency

A situation that feels tense and stressful and needs careful handling

How Serious

disaster
1.0
crisis
3.1
problem
1.2
issue
3.0
situation
1.9
circumstance
2.7

Surface Forms

situation singular
situations plural

Morphology

situation = situate (semi-transparent) = situate + ion

Formally a standard nominalization from 'situate' + '-ion', but the abstract meaning 'state of affairs' is an extended nominal sense that may not be obvious to learners who do not know 'situate'.

Etymology

Situation comes from the Latin verb situare, which means 'to place', and from situs, meaning 'position'. Think of it as how things are placed or arranged around you, which is why situation means the state or condition you are in.