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setting

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of setting

1 the circumstances, conditions, or objects by which one is surrounded

  • the novice camper felt lost outside of his familiar urban setting
Synonyms of setting

ambient, atmosphere, climate, clime, context, contexture, environment, environs, medium, milieu, mise-en-scène, surround, surroundings, terrain
Words Related to setting

location, place, position, space

backdrop, background

element

situation, status

geography, habitat

microenvironment

2 the place and time in which the action for a portion of a dramatic work (as a movie) is set

  • the setting for the novel is Victorian England
Synonyms of setting

background, locale, scene
Words Related to setting

backdrop, scenery, set

mise-en-scène, tableau

Synonym Discussion of setting

background, setting, environment, milieu, mise-en-scène mean the place, time, and circumstances in which something occurs. background often refers to the circumstances or events that precede a phenomenon or development.
    • the shocking decision was part of the background of the riots
setting suggests looking at real-life situations in literary or dramatic terms.
    • a militant reformer who was born into an unlikely social setting
environment applies to all the external factors that have a formative influence on one's physical, mental, or moral development.
    • the kind of environment that produces juvenile delinquents
milieu applies especially to the physical and social surroundings of a person or group of persons.
    • an intellectual milieu conducive to artistic experimentation
mise-en-scène strongly suggests the use of properties to achieve a particular atmosphere or theatrical effect.
    • a gothic thriller with a carefully crafted mise-en-scène

Learn More about setting

  1. See words that rhyme with setting Dictionary: Definition of setting Spanish Central: Translation of setting Nglish: Translation of setting for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of setting for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about setting

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