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

In contrast, there are about 17,000 sit-in Starbucks stores across the United States. —Vivek Astvansh, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2025

One March 2024 protest saw a student sit-in that resulted in four students and one reporter arrested. —Angele Latham, Nashville Tennessean, 1 Oct. 2025

Verb

Now, most of the state’s wind projects sit in a corridor that stretches from Benton County east to Randolph on the Ohio border. —Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Oct. 2025

During a 2019 visit to The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Sophia sat in the audience while Ed shared a story about doing a project with her celebrity crush. —Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 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