sit-in

1 of 2

noun

ˈsit-ˌin 

1

: sit-down sense 1

2

a

: an act of occupying seats in a racially segregated establishment in organized protest against discrimination

b

: an act of sitting in the seats or on the floor of an establishment as a means of organized protest

sit in

2 of 2

verb

sat in; sitting in; sits in

intransitive verb

1

: to take part in or be present at a session of music or discussion as a visitor

—often used with on

invited to sit in on a rehearsal

2

: to participate in a sit-in

Examples of sit-in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And Steam Cafe is the in-house coffee shop pouring Cloud Picker Coffee for sit-in and takeaway. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 26 Nov. 2025

Bennett Belles hold a rich tradition of being leaders, as the Belles of the 1960’s were active planners of and participants in the Civil Rights Movement’s sit-ins. —Essence, 13 Nov. 2025

Verb

Pittsburgh now sits in a tie with the Baltimore Ravens atop the AFC North. —Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025

Hours earlier, the governor, Josh Shapiro, had led a seder, sitting in the middle of a long rectangular table in the dining room, surrounded by his wife, three of their children, his three siblings, and several nieces and nephews. —Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1936, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sit-in

• akin
• auxin
• buckskin
• chagrin
• deerskin
• foreskin
• fuchsin
• herein
• kingpin
• linchpin
• pigskin
• pinyin

Kids Definition

sit-in

noun

ˈsit-ˌin

: an act of sitting in seats or on the floor (as in a restaurant or office) as a means of organized protest