sitting

1 of 2

noun

sit·​ting ˈsi-tiŋ 

1

a

: the act of one that sits

b

: a single occasion of continuous sitting (as for a portrait or meal)

2

a

: a brooding over eggs for hatching

b

: setting sense 6

3

: session

a sitting of the legislature

sitting

2 of 2

adjective

1

: that is setting

a sitting hen

2

: occupying a judicial, legislative, or executive seat : being in office

3

: easily hit or played

a sitting target

4

a

: used in or for sitting

a sitting position

b

: performed while sitting

a sitting shot

Examples of sitting in a Sentence

Noun

I got through the book in one sitting.

He finished the portrait in one sitting.

We'll eat at the second sitting.

We have reservations for the 5:30 sitting.

Adjective

a sitting member of Parliament

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Mish and Lucy left their enclosures and beelined for the park's food storage area, where the animals gobbled seven days' worth of honey in one sitting. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 25 June 2025

For example, do it in the morning to invigorate yourself before jumping into work, in the evening to loosen up after a long day of sitting, or both. —Jenny McCoy, SELF, 19 June 2025

Adjective

With the stalemate, the sitting Republican governor, Morgan G. Bulkeley simply stayed in office for two more years. —Gideon Cohn-Postar, The Conversation, 1 Nov. 2019

For a while, the sitting Republican governor, Matt Bevin, looked eminently deposable. —I.k. | Lexington, The Economist, 1 Nov. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sitting

• bed-sitting room
• fence-sitting
• sitting down
• sitting duck
• (sitting) in the catbird seat
• sitting room
• sitting tenant

Rhymes for sitting

• fitting
• flitting
• gritting
• hitting
• knitting
• pitting
• quitting
• slitting
• spitting
• splitting
• acquitting
• admitting

Kids Definition

sitting

1 of 2 noun

sit·​ting

ˈsit-iŋ

1

: an act of one that sits

especially : a single occasion of continuous sitting

finished the portrait in one sitting

2

a

: a brooding over eggs for hatching

b

: setting sense 5

3

: session sense 1

sitting of the legislature

sitting

2 of 2 adjective

: used in or for sitting

a sitting position