1
: one that sits: such as
a
: a person who sits for a portrait or a bust
Usually commissioned by the sitters themselves, some images straddle the line between individual portrait and genre scene …—
Naomi Rosenblum
Naomi Rosenblum
b
: a person who takes care of someone or something in the place of a parent, owner, etc.
pet sitters
The next time you hire a sitter [=babysitter], remind your daughter what happened the last time and let her know that you are only a phone call away.—John Rosemond
see also house sitter
John Rosemond2
a
: an easy target
a sitter for enemy submarines
b
sports
: an easy scoring or fielding chance
… missed an absolute sitter in the 44th minute to keep the game scoreless.—Jamie Goldberg
Jamie GoldbergSynonyms of sitter
Examples of sitter in a Sentence
They hired a sitter so they could go out.
we'll be going to the movie if we can get a sitter for the kids
Recent Examples on the Web
The concierge can also coordinate sitters or walkers for an additional fee.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
Unlike the portraits in Newman’s book, which were painted to glorify their sitters, many of the images in the Epstein files have a queasy, destabilizing aspect.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
No Daytona 500 pole-sitter has won since Dale Jarrett in 2000, which is why clean air matters less than clean decisions once the draft starts doing its math.
—Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
The 41-car field will be led by first-time Daytona 500 pole-sitter Kyle Busch in Row 1 with Chase Briscoe, who won the pole in 2025.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sitter
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
Unlike the portraits in Newman’s book, which were painted to glorify their sitters, many of the images in the Epstein files have a queasy, destabilizing aspect.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
No Daytona 500 pole-sitter has won since Dale Jarrett in 2000, which is why clean air matters less than clean decisions once the draft starts doing its math.
—Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
The 41-car field will be led by first-time Daytona 500 pole-sitter Kyle Busch in Row 1 with Chase Briscoe, who won the pole in 2025.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sitter
Cite this Entry
“Sitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sitter. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sitter
noun
sit·ter
ˈsit-ər 
: one that sits
especially
: a person who babysits
Biographical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
