settlement

noun set·tle·ment \ ˈse-tᵊl-mənt \

Definition of settlement

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 :settlement house

5 :an agreement composing differences

6 :payment or adjustment of an account

See settlement defined for English-language learners

See settlement defined for kids

Examples of settlement in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of settlement from the Web

A Seattle police officer fired in fall 2015 for arresting an elderly African-American man who was using a golf club as a cane will receive a lump-sum payment of more than $100,000 in back pay, according to a settlement agreement with the city.

— sara jean green, The Seattle Times, "Ex-Seattle officer fired over golf-club arrest to get $105K in back pay," 30 Aug. 2017
And the downhill slide didn’t end with losing the war; a subsequent series of treaties divvied up chunks of China between Russia and Japan, a continuation of the creation of European concessions like Hong Kong or the French settlement in Shanghai.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "The Surprisingly Important Role China Played in WWI," 17 Aug. 2017
The pending trial follows a July settlement by the city for $2.1 million in a discrimination lawsuit with former Chula Vista Deputy Fire Chief Jim Garcia.

— allison sampite-montecalvo, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Another Chula Vista fire fighter files claim against city," 15 Aug. 2017
Only lawyers at Zillow and the CFPB know whether the case is destined for litigation or a settlement.

— kenneth r. harney, miamiherald, "Is Zillow violating anti-kickback law? Feds are looking into it," 14 Aug. 2017
Both the church and the city worked toward a settlement to avoid further costs of litigation, according to the agreement.

— mike nolan, Daily Southtown, "Church moves closer to opening in Markham," 7 Aug. 2017
According to court documents, a settlement in the case is off the table at this point.

— lily herman, Allure, "Taylor Swift Set to Testify Against Radio DJ Who Allegedly Groped Her in 2013," 7 Aug. 2017
Harling grew up in Natchitoches, Louisiana, the oldest settlement from the Louisiana Purchase, with two younger siblings.

— maria carter, Country Living, "The Heartbreaking Real-Life Story Behind 'Steel Magnolias'," 28 July 2017
That same year in 1972, the study ended, and two years later a class action lawsuit settlement awarded those in the study and their families $10 million along with the benefits initially promised to them by researchers.

— brittney mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment Discovered 45 Years Ago," 25 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'settlement.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of settlement

1648

settlement Synonyms

Synonyms

accord, bargain, compact, contract, convention, covenant, deal, disposition, pact, agreement, understanding

Related Words

charter, treaty; binder, pledge, promise; alliance, association, entente, entente cordiale, league, partnership; acceptance, approval, assent, concurrence, consent, OK (or okay)

SETTLEMENT Defined for English Language Learners

settlement

noun

Definition of settlement for English Language Learners

: a formal agreement or decision that ends an argument or dispute; also : an amount of money that someone receives as part of such an agreement
: the act or process of settling an argument or disagreement
: the act of paying back money that is owed