1
: one that sits: such as
a
: a person who sits for a portrait or a bust
Usually commissioned by the sitters themselves, some images straddle the line between individual portrait and genre scene …—
Naomi Rosenblum
Naomi Rosenblum
b
: a person who takes care of someone or something in the place of a parent, owner, etc.
pet sitters
The next time you hire a sitter [=babysitter], remind your daughter what happened the last time and let her know that you are only a phone call away.—John Rosemond
see also house sitter
John Rosemond2
a
: an easy target
a sitter for enemy submarines
b
sports
: an easy scoring or fielding chance
… missed an absolute sitter in the 44th minute to keep the game scoreless.—Jamie Goldberg
Jamie Goldberg
Synonyms
Examples of sitter in a Sentence
They hired a sitter so they could go out.
we'll be going to the movie if we can get a sitter for the kids
Recent Examples on the Web
The celebration also welcomed TV presenter and The Prince’s Foundation Ambassador Jay Blades (who hosted Charles on The Repair Shop last year!) and sitters from King Charles’ Windrush: Portraits of a Pioneering Generation project, which Charles commissioned as the Prince of Wales in 2022.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023
Sure, the sitter has a Renaissance elbow—the arms-akimbo pose Hals used to give his portraits more depth and swagger—but the smooth density of the man’s face is much more van Dyck-ish.
—Zachary Fine, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
The intelligent camera can detect movement between a human and a pet (in case a sitter or other family members move around), and the 360-degree view with pan and tilt capabilities offers the flexibility to monitor a furry friend remotely, all over the room.
—Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2023
The only people outside were the crowds of journalists with airline tags on their Pelican equipment cases and nowhere to pee, police officers, a few locals who heard that the 7-Eleven across the street from the hospital was open, and the bench sitters near the bus station.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2023
The sitter is thought to be Charlotte du Val d’Ognes, a teenager who lived, as the art historian Anne Higonnet has shown, in the building visible through the window in this painting.
—Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2023
The picture has a quietly smoldering quality, as if both sitters would rather be doing something else.
—Roberta Smith, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023
Upon advancing to Saturday’s final at the All England Club, the 24-year-old Czech tennis star called home — to book a pet sitter for her beloved cat, Frankie, CNN reported.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 14 July 2023
Your neighbor has lost what sounds like could have been a good and reliable cat sitter.
—Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Sep. 2023
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Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023
Sure, the sitter has a Renaissance elbow—the arms-akimbo pose Hals used to give his portraits more depth and swagger—but the smooth density of the man’s face is much more van Dyck-ish.
—Zachary Fine, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
The intelligent camera can detect movement between a human and a pet (in case a sitter or other family members move around), and the 360-degree view with pan and tilt capabilities offers the flexibility to monitor a furry friend remotely, all over the room.
—Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2023
The only people outside were the crowds of journalists with airline tags on their Pelican equipment cases and nowhere to pee, police officers, a few locals who heard that the 7-Eleven across the street from the hospital was open, and the bench sitters near the bus station.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2023
The sitter is thought to be Charlotte du Val d’Ognes, a teenager who lived, as the art historian Anne Higonnet has shown, in the building visible through the window in this painting.
—Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2023
The picture has a quietly smoldering quality, as if both sitters would rather be doing something else.
—Roberta Smith, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023
Upon advancing to Saturday’s final at the All England Club, the 24-year-old Czech tennis star called home — to book a pet sitter for her beloved cat, Frankie, CNN reported.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 14 July 2023
Your neighbor has lost what sounds like could have been a good and reliable cat sitter.
—Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sitter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of sitter was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing sitter
Dictionary Entries Near sitter
Cite this Entry
“Sitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sitter. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
sitter
noun
sit·ter
ˈsit-ər 
: one that sits
especially
: a person who babysits
Biographical Definition
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