settlement

noun

set·tle·ment | \ ˈse-tᵊl-mənt

Definition of settlement

1 : the act or process of settling

2a : an act of bestowing or giving possession under legal sanction

b : the sum, estate, or income secured to one by such a settlement

3a : 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 Example Sentences Learn More about settlement

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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

New York City paid out $1 billion in tort and legal settlements during fiscal year 2018, a nearly 8% decline from the previous year. — Kate King, WSJ, "New York City’s Legal Payouts Dropped 8% in Fiscal 2018," 15 Apr. 2019 The chronology, which takes nine-tenths of a mile to unfold, highlights the region’s geological formation, natural habitats, Bedouin culture, and early coastal settlements and their pearl trade. — Julie Lasky, ELLE Decor, "ED First Look: The National Museum of Qatar," 26 Mar. 2019 Over the past few years, there have been many accusations, lawsuits, and settlements between indie designers and fast fashion conglomerates over alleged copyright infringements. — Alyssa Hardy, Teen Vogue, "Imitation In Fashion is a Huge Problem, But It's Probably Not Going Anywhere," 13 Mar. 2019 The settlement's total value is $174.2 million, the AG's office said. — Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, "Charter users who didn’t get promised speeds will get $75 or $150 refunds," 18 Dec. 2018 Another way to tell the class difference between settlements? — Emily Strasser, Curbed, "A secret city opens up," 8 Aug. 2018 The settlement limits Milwaukee's costs and fees for a consultant required as part of the deal to about $1.5 million. — Ashley Luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett signs off on $3.4 million settlement in ACLU stop-and-frisk lawsuit," 13 July 2018 Specifics about the settlement were not included in court records, and Dabertin said the two sides agreed not to publicly discuss the terms and conditions. — Becky Jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Whiting's Pierogi Fest settles with East Coast event in trademark dispute," 13 July 2018 Residents have moved farther up a slope from where the settlement sits. — Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, "Massive iceberg looms off Greenland coast, threatening tiny village," 13 July 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.

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Last Updated

21 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for settlement

The first known use of settlement was in 1648

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More Definitions for settlement

settlement

noun

English Language Learners Definition of settlement

: 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

See the full definition for settlement in the English Language Learners Dictionary

settlement

noun

set·tle·ment | \ ˈse-tᵊl-mənt

Kids Definition of settlement

1 : a formal agreement that ends an argument or dispute

2 : final payment (as of a bill)

3 : the act or fact of establishing colonies the settlement of New England

4 : a place or region newly settled

5 : a small village

settlement

noun

set·tle·ment

Legal Definition of settlement

1 : the act or process of settling

2a : 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