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- DictionarySet·tle/ˈsed(ə)l/
verb
- 1. resolve or reach an agreement about (an argument or problem): "every effort was made to settle the dispute" Similar resolvesort outreach an agreement aboutfind a solution tofind an answer tosolveclear upbring to an endfixwork outiron outsmooth overstraighten outdeal withput rightset rightput to rightsrectifyremedyreconcileinformal:patch uparchaic:composeOpposite prolong
- ▪ end (a legal dispute) by mutual agreement: "he sued for libel and then settled out of court"
- ▪ determine; decide on: "exactly what goes into the legislation has not been settled" Similar decide onsetfixcome to a decision aboutagree onnamedetermineestablisharrangearrive atappointdesignateassignconfirmchooseselectpick
- ▪ complete the administration and distribution of a decedent's estate.
- ▪ accept or agree to (something that one considers to be less than satisfactory): "it was too cold for champagne so they settled for a cup of tea" Similar acceptagree toaccede toacquiesce inassent tocompromise on
- 2. pay (a debt or account): "his bill was settled by charge card" Similar paypay in fullsettle updischargesquarecleardefrayliquidatesatisfy
- ▪ give money or property to (someone) through a deed of settlement or a will: "he offered to settle $150 a year on her"
- 3. adopt a more steady or secure style of life, especially in a permanent job and home: "one day I will settle down and raise a family"
- ▪ make one's permanent home somewhere: "in 1863 the family settled in London" Similar make one's homeset up hometake up residenceput down rootsestablish oneselfgo to livemove toemigrate toset up housekeeping informal:become domiciled inOpposite move away from
- ▪ move with a group of others to live in a new country or area: "European immigrants settled much of Australia" Similar colonizeestablish a colony inoccupypeopleinhabitpopulate
- ▪ begin to feel comfortable or established in a new situation: "he had settled into his new job"
- ▪ turn one's attention to; apply oneself to: "Catherine settled down to her studies" Similar apply oneself toturn one's attention toaddress oneself toget down toset aboutset to work onbegin to tackleattackconcentrate onfocus ondevote oneself to
- ▪ become or make calmer or quieter: "after a few months the controversy settled down" Similar calm downbe quietbe stillrelaxquieten downquiet downcalmcalm downsoothecomposepacifylullsubduequellsedatetranquillizequietenquietOpposite agitatedisturb
- ▪ silence (someone considered a nuisance) by some means: dated "he told me to hold my tongue or he would find a way to settle me"
- 4. sit or come to rest in a comfortable position: "he settled into an armchair" Similar sit downseat oneselfinstall oneselfplant oneselfensconce oneselfplump oneselfflumpinformal:park oneselfplonk oneselflandcome to restcome downalightlightdescendperchOpposite stand uptake off
- ▪ make (someone) comfortable in a particular place or position: "she allowed him to settle her in the taxi" Similar make comfortabletuck inbed down
- ▪ move or adjust (something) so that it rests securely: "she settled her bag on her shoulder"
- ▪ fall or come down onto a surface: "dust from the mill had settled on the roof"
- ▪ (of suspended particles) sink slowly in a liquid to form sediment; (of a liquid) become clear or still through this process: "sediment settles near the bottom of the tank" Similar sinksubsidefallgravitateprecipitate outOpposite rise
- ▪ (of an object or objects) gradually sink down under its or their own weight: "they listened to the soft ticking and creaking as the house settled"
- ▪ (of a ship or boat) sink gradually: "the craft was settling nose-down in the water"
Word Origin Old Englishsetlan ‘to seat, place’, from settle2.
Derivatives
- 1. settleable adjective
- 2. settledness noun
Scrabble Points: 6
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1E
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