SINCE 1828
sitting
noun
sit·ting
| \ ˈsi-tiŋ
\
\
Definition of sitting
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: the act of one that sits
b
: a single occasion of continuous sitting (as for a portrait or meal)
2a
: a brooding over eggs for hatching
b
: setting sense 6
3
: session
a sitting of the legislature
sitting
adjectiveDefinition of sitting (Entry 2 of 2)
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
4a
: 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
The final two sittings for NAAM’s Black Santa will be 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, and Sunday, Dec. 16. — Bettina Hansen, The Seattle Times, "Santa-sized hugs abound at Northwest African American Museum in Seattle," 12 Dec. 2018 The back-and-forth between the sitting and former presidents sets the stage for a battle of the mega-surrogates heading into the November midterms. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, "Obama returns to campaign trail with fiery speech; Trump counters, 'I fell asleep'," 2 Oct. 2018 Kate snapped adorable pictures of the two-year-old sitting on a set of steps in a little red coat, pink scarf, and backpack. — Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, "Why You Won't See Prince George and Princess Charlotte's Back-to-School Photos This Year," 6 Sep. 2018 In one sitting room the low line of the curved sofa allows for unobstructed views of the leafy street below. — Olivia Martin, Town & Country, "This Upper East Side Townhouse Is Brimming With Bespoke Furniture and French Antiques," 25 Jan. 2019 To the left was the sitting area, as well as the kitchenette, the Swiss marble bedecked bathroom and a tiny powder room with pink striped wallpaper, a light pink toilet and matching pink sink. — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "I Spent the Night Inside Copenhagen’s Chicest Design Store," 17 Aug. 2018 Pompeo, who first traveled to North Korea as CIA chief in early April, was only the second sitting secretary of state to visit the nation with which the U.S. is still technically at war. — Matthew Lee And Zeke Miller, Fox News, "Freed detainees head home for big welcome, featuring Trump," 11 May 2018 Pompeo, who first traveled to North Korea as CIA chief in early April, is only the second sitting secretary of state to visit the reclusive nation with which the U.S. is still technically at war. — Matthew Lee And Catherine Lucey, BostonGlobe.com, "American detainees in N. Korea headed home, Trump says," 9 May 2018 Pompeo, who first traveled to North Korea as CIA chief in early April, is only the second sitting secretary of state to visit the reclusive nation with which the U.S. is still technically at war. — Matthew Lee, USA TODAY, "Pompeo in North Korea to discuss summit, release of Americans," 9 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Blessed be the person who can fall asleep sitting upright while wrapped in a flimsy layer of polyester blanket that only covers approximately 1/3rd of the length of their legs. — Condé Nast Traveler, "5 Travel Kits that Will Actually Help You Sleep on a Plane," 22 Mar. 2018 Outside, the 16,107-square-foot La Villa Contenta has more sitting areas for relaxation, work and watching the tots play. — Cara Zimmerman, Harper's BAZAAR, "Beyoncé Brought Her Twins Home to This $400k-per-Month Malibu Estate," 26 June 2017 The pattern of Catalonia supporting a losing side in a war, and paying through the nose for it, continued as right-wing fascist forces under the direction of General Francisco Franco sought to usurp the sitting Republican government in 1936. — Kate Keller, Smithsonian, "Beyond the Headlines, Catalan Culture Has a Long History of Vibrancy and Staying Power," 25 June 2018 Kylie is currently in Paris to celebrate Virgil Abloh’s premiere menswear collection for Louis Vuitton, which debuted yesterday to the likes of Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, and more sitting front row. — Avery Matera, Teen Vogue, "Kylie Jenner Wears a Fendi Two-Piece Towel Outfit," 22 June 2018 The study subjects reported average sitting times of three to 15 hours a day. — Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "Too much sitting may thin the part of your brain that's important for memory, study suggests," 13 Apr. 2018 Kasich is among a handful of sitting Republican governors who have spoken out against the GOP bills in Congress. — John Wagner, Washington Post, "Republicans running for governor put in a tough position by Trump health cuts," 28 June 2017 Outside, the 16,107-square-foot La Villa Contenta has more sitting areas for relaxation, work and watching the tots play. — Cara Zimmerman, Harper's BAZAAR, "Beyoncé Brought Her Twins Home to This $400k-per-Month Malibu Estate," 26 June 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sitting.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for sitting
sitting
noun
English Language Learners Definition of sitting
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a period of time during which someone sits and does a particular activity
: a period of time when a person poses for a portrait or photograph
: a time when a meal is served to a number of people at the same time
sitting
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of sitting (Entry 2 of 2)
: currently holding an office
: used in or for sitting
: easily hit
See the full definition for sitting in the English Language Learners Dictionary
sitting
noun
sit·ting
| \ ˈsi-tiŋ\
Kids Definition of sitting
1
: a period during which someone poses for a portrait or photograph
2
: session sense 2
a sitting of the legislature
3
: a time when a meal is served to a number of people
There will be two sittings for the dinner.
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