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

Activists and community members staged a sit-in at the meeting. — Olivia Young, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

Then, after weeks of sit-ins and marches, Dharmendra Pradhan, the education minister, stepped down, a rare blow to Modi’s government, and one that more established opposition parties had been unable to land. — Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Verb

Sergey Krasovskiy and Pedro Salas/Royal Society Open Science The fossil that led to the discovery sat in a drawer at the Natural History Museum in London for nearly 100 years, having first been obtained by the vaunted institution in 1924. — Archie Clarke, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Physical pictures can sit in the same frame for years without a refresh. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026

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
• crankpin
• deerskin
• foreskin
• fuchsin
• herein
• kingpin
• linchpin
• pigskin

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