settlement

noun

set·​tle·​ment ˈse-tᵊl-mənt 

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

Synonyms of settlement

• agreement
• pact
• convention

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 on the Web

In an email sent to university leadership after the settlement was agreed, Mearns stood by his decision to fire Swierc. —Drew Pittock, USA Today, 2 June 2026

After consulting with its attorneys, the board conceded, accepting a settlement offer that would allow the data center to proceed with only minimal concessions from the firm. —Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026

The study was part of the reforms that the city pledged to undertake in a lawsuit settlement after Taylor’s killing, but a nonpolice response failed to win the support of city leaders and wasn’t adopted. —Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 2 June 2026

From a multimillion-dollar settlement in a deadly Independence police shooting to England’s World Cup base camp in Prairie Village, here’s a roundup of what’s making news in the Kansas City region. —Ian Cummings, Kansas City Star, 2 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing settlement

• out-of-court settlement
• pre-settlement
• settlement house
• viatical settlement

Rhymes for settlement

• resettlement

Kids Definition

settlement

noun

set·​tle·​ment ˈset-ᵊl-mənt 

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

: settlement house

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 settlements

—J. 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