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

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

It was created after a 1973 sit-in, Erickson wrote, at which protesters called for the college to create a space on campus for Indigenous students to organize. —Cleo Krejci, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025

Verb

With Palhinha and Bentancur sitting in front of their defence, Spurs struggle to progress the ball through the centre of the pitch. —Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025

Angel City made the playoffs just once in its first three seasons and currently sits in 11th place out of 14 teams with one month to go in the 2025 regular season. —Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 29 Sep. 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