settlement

noun set·tle·ment \ ˈse-tᵊl-mənt \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Examples: settlement in a Sentence

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

The Justice Department also fought to modify the 1997 Flores court settlement, which says migrant children can’t be kept in custody for more than 20 days.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Returns to ‘Catch and Release’ for Migrant Families – But Maybe Not for Long," 11 July 2018
The Department of Justice's surprising settlement, confirmed in court documents earlier this month, essentially surrenders to that argument.

— adam fisher, WIRED, "A Landmark Legal Shift Opens Pandora’s Box for DIY Guns," 10 July 2018
The settlement, which includes cleanup work in the Woonasquatucket River and adjacent residential and commercial properties, requires the companies to perform the remedy selected by EPA.

— stephen singer, courant.com, "Stanley, Black & Decker Agrees To $100 Million Cleanup Of RI Superfund Site," 9 July 2018
The settlement - worth 4 million euros - ends the long-running case brought by fellow cyclist Floyd Landis and joined by the US government.

— dale robertson, Houston Chronicle, "Houston's Lawson Craddock crashes at Tour de France," 8 July 2018
Even though attorney Jonathan Safran negotiated the $1.4 million settlement, Alicia Johnson fired him without notice to Crumble early this year.

— bruce vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Mother opposes father's share of settlement in son's death at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex," 6 July 2018
Long believed that this desert wilderness served as a natural limitation on American western settlement, acting as an important buffer against the Mexican, British, and Russians, who claimed the western lands beyond.

— johnforristerross, Longreads, "Taming the Great American Desert," 2 July 2018
As part of their divorce settlement, the former Duchess still receives a little over $19,800 (£15,000) a year from the royal family.

— amanda garrity, Good Housekeeping, "How Sarah Ferguson Rebuilt Her Net Worth and Relationship With the Royal Family," 29 June 2018
Below is a list of settlement amounts in other high-profile police shootings.

— timothy williams, New York Times, "$16 Million vs. $4: In Fatal Police Shootings, Payouts Vary Widely," 28 June 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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settlement Synonyms

Synonyms

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