setting

1 the circumstances, conditions, or objects by which one is surrounded the novice camper felt lost outside of his familiar urban setting Synonyms ambient, atmosphere, climate, clime, context, contexture, environs, medium, milieu, mise-en-scène, environment, surround, surroundings, terrainRelated Words 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 background, locale, sceneRelated Words backdrop, scenery, set; mise-en-scène, tableau