settlement

noun

set·​tle·​ment ˈse-tᵊl-mənt How to pronounce settlement (audio)
1
: the act or process of settling
2
a
: an act of bestowing or giving possession under legal sanction
b
: the sum, estate, or income secured to one by such a settlement
3
a
: occupation by settlers
b
: a place or region newly settled
c
: a small village
4
5
: an agreement composing differences
6
: payment or adjustment of an account

Example Sentences

I got the house in the divorce settlement. The parties have not been able to reach a settlement in the case. We were hoping for a quick settlement of the dispute between the neighbors. English settlements in North America. This was the island's first colonial settlement. They came upon the ruins of an ancient settlement. See More
Recent Examples on the Web The estate of the housekeeper did not receive any settlement funds. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 24 May 2023 The estate did not receive any of the settlement funds. Michael M. Dewitt, USA TODAY, 24 May 2023 Satterfield's son, Tony Satterfield, testified during Murdaugh's murder trial that his family never received a penny from the $4 million settlement funds. Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 24 May 2023 The House Committee on General Investigating is meeting Wednesday morning to hear testimony related to its investigation into Paxton's settlement fund. Kennedy Sessions, Chron, 24 May 2023 The checks were then delivered to Laffitte, whom Murdaugh directed to use the settlement funds for Murdaugh’s benefit,’’ prosecutors wrote. Timothy Bella, BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2023 In the 1990s and 2000s, historic settlements in discrimination lawsuits against major banks pushed CEOs to pay more attention to diversity. Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023 Therefore, if there is no settlement at mediation, sellers and buyers generally go to litigation in the court system. Christopher A. Combs, The Arizona Republic, 16 May 2023 The negotiation is expected following a settlement hearing with union attorneys. Natasha Chen, CNN, 16 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'settlement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of settlement was in 1648

Dictionary Entries Near settlement

Cite this Entry

“Settlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/settlement. Accessed 30 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

settlement

noun
set·​tle·​ment ˈset-ᵊl-mənt How to pronounce settlement (audio)
1
: the act of settling : the condition of being settled
2
: final payment (as of a bill)
3
a
: a place or region newly settled
b
: a small village
4

Legal Definition

settlement

noun
set·​tle·​ment
1
: the act or process of settling
2
a
: an agreement reducing or resolving differences
especially : an agreement between litigants that concludes the litigation
the states finally agreed upon a settlement and a consent decree W. J. Brennan, Jr.
entered into a property settlement prior to the divorce
b
: a formal and permanent grant or conveyance
c
: the sum, estate, or income granted or paid under a settlement
if the monetary limits of a defendant's insurance policy can be discovered in order to obtain reasonable settlementsJ. H. Friedenthal et al.
3
: closing
settlement costs
4
: the transfer of funds between a payor bank and a collecting bank in order to complete transactions for customers

More from Merriam-Webster on settlement

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