settle

Syllables: set·tleUK/ˈsɛ.təl//ˈsɛtəl/

settle verb: to determine (something which was exposed to doubt or question); to resolve conclusively; to set or fix (a time, an order of succession, etc).

Verb

settle (third-person singular simple present settles, present participle settling, simple past and past participle settled)

(transitive) To determine (something which was exposed to doubt or question); to resolve conclusively; to set or fix (a time, an order of succession, etc).
- His fears were settled
- She hopes to settle any questions about the plans.
Synonyms:

seal
(transitive) To conclude, to cause (a dispute) to finish.
- to settle a quarrel
Synonyms:

dispose, dispose of
(transitive) In particular, to terminate (a lawsuit), usually out of court, by agreement of all parties.

Synonyms:

dispose, dispose of
(transitive) To close, liquidate or balance (an account) by payment, sometimes of less than is owed or due.
- The coffee was only surface wet and looked worse than it actually was and as he returned to the Reception Desk to settle his account and give back his room key, he was met again by the young man who was still wearing his rucksack.2012, Paul Kelly, Willie Blair: A Tale of True Loss and Sadness, →ISBN
Synonyms:

discharge
(colloquial, transitive) To pay (a bill or debt).
(intransitive) To adjust differences or accounts; to come to an agreement on matters in dispute.
- He has settled with his creditors.
(intransitive) To conclude a lawsuit by agreement of the parties rather than a decision of a court.
- Of course, certainty is a value in all systems of conflict of laws—including those of the United States. Certainty for litigants decreases litigation and transaction costs and increases the chances that cases will settle.2010, Clay H. Kaminsky, “The Rome II Regulation: A Comparative Perspective on Federalizing Choice of Law”, in Tulane Law Review, volume 85, number 1, page 79
(transitive) To place or arrange in(to) a desired (especially: calm) state, or make final disposition of (something).
- to settle my affairs
- to settle her estate
1. (transitive) To put into (proper) place; to make sit or lie properly.
  - The curate settled his collar, coughed, and, making an effort, knocked.1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1932, page 3
  - She twisted out from under the claim of his palm to settle her feet on the floor.2012, Nancy Gideon, Seeker of Shadows, →ISBN
2. (transitive) To cause to no longer be in a disturbed, confused or stormy; to quiet; to calm (nerves, waters, a boisterous or rebellious child, etc).
  - God settled then the huge whale-bearing lake, / And Tenedos we reach'd; [...]1614–1615, Homer, “The Third Book of Homer’s Odysseys”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615...
  - [I]t drawing towards night, and they hoping that ſleep might ſettle his brains, with all haſt they got him to bed; [...]1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress as Originally Published by...
3. (UK, dialectal, transitive) To silence, especially by force.
4. (transitive) To kill.
  - I poured a charge of powder over the nipple so as not tu miss goin' off if possible. Click! went the match,—up jumped the flock, or tried tu. As they bunched up, Peggy blazed intu 'em, settlin’ how many I didn't know, …1894-5, Patterson, Man and Nature (in The Primitive Methodist Magazine)
5. (transitive) To bring or restore (ground, roads, etc) to a smooth, dry, or passable condition.
  - clear weather settles the roads
(intransitive) To become calm, quiet, or orderly; to stop being agitated.
- The weather settled.
- Wait until the crowd settles before speaking.
1. (intransitive) To become firm, dry, and hard, like the ground after the effects of rain or frost have disappeared.
  - The roads settled late in the spring.
(transitive) To place in(to) a fixed or permanent condition or position or on(to) a permanent basis; to make firm, steady, or stable; to establish or fix.
- And he settled his countenance stedfastly [upon him], until he was ashamed.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Kings 8:11
(transitive) In particular, to establish in life; to fix in business, in a home, etc.
- Now thirteen Years of Age were ſwiftly run, / When the fond Father thought the time drew on / Of ſettling in the World his only Son.1717, John Dryden, “Book IX. [The Fable of Iphis and Ianthe.]”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 325
- But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Chronicles 17:14
(US, obsolete, transitive) In particular, to establish in pastoral office; to ordain or install as pastor or rector of a church, society, or parish.
- to settle a minister

Show 15 more meaningsShow fewer meanings

(transitive) To formally, legally secure (an annuity, property, title, etc) on (a person).
(intransitive, obsolete) To make a jointure for a spouse.
- He sighs with most success that settles well.1712, Samuel Garth, Epilogue to Cato, a Tragedy, by Joseph Addison
(intransitive) To become married, or a householder.
- As People marry now, and ſettle; / Fierce Love abates his uſual Mettle: [...]1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Alma: Or, The Progress of the Mind”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […], →OCLC, canto II, page 340
(intransitive) To be established in a profession or in employment.
- He is settled in the profession of law at Rochester, New York.1825, William Buell Sprague, An Historical Discourse Delivered at West Springfield
- Following his avowed aim to settle in his profession of medicine, Sloane arranged to call on Dr Thomas Sydenham, the foremost physician of his day in London, known as 'the English Hippocrates'.1994, Arthur MacGregor, Sir Hans Sloane
(intransitive, usually, "in", "on" or another preposition) To become stationary or fixed; to come to rest.
- But then the Wind came about, and ſetled in the West for many dayes, ſo as we could make little or no way, and were ſometimes in purpoſe to turne backe.1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “New Atlantis. A Worke Vnfinished.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn]...
- Chyle [...] runs through all the intermediate colors until it settles in an intense red.1735, John Arbuthnot, An essay concerning the nature of aliments
(intransitive) To fix one's residence in a place; to establish a dwelling place, home, or colony. (Compare settle down.)
- the Saxons who settled in Britain
- The British could identify very few ‘village elders’ in the colony. The reason was that the majority of the Chinese in Hong Kong were male immigrants with no village to which to attach themselves. They tended to settle in an area known as Sheung Wan (the Upper Bay) on the northern shore of Hong...1998, Stephanie Po-yin Chung, “An Immigrant Community and its Leadership, 1841–1900”, in Chinese Business Groups in Hong Kong and Political Change in South China, 1900–25, St. Martin's Press, →ISBN...
1. (intransitive, transitive) To colonize (an area); to migrate to (a land, territory, site, etc).
  - the French first settled Canada
  - the Puritans settled New England
(transitive) To move (people) to (a land or territory), so as to colonize it; to cause (people) to take residence in (a place).
- Rome began to settle displaced or disenfranchised citizens, veterans, and allies in colonies beyond Italy.2001, Eric Nelson, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Roman Empire, →ISBN
(transitive) To clear or purify (a liquid) of dregs and impurities by causing them to sink.
- to settle coffee, or the grounds of coffee
(transitive) To cause to sink down or to be deposited (dregs, sediment, etc).
- to settle the sediment out of the water
(transitive) To render compact or solid; to cause to become packed down.
- to settle the chips in the potato chip bag by shaking it
(intransitive) To sink to the bottom of a body of liquid, as dregs of a liquid, or the sediment of a reservoir.
(intransitive) To sink gradually to a lower level; to subside, for example the foundation of a house, etc.
- Sometimes a tub will settle at one corner, causing the rim to slope.1980, Robert M. Jones, editor, Walls and Ceilings, Time-Life Books, →ISBN, page 38
(intransitive) To become compact due to sinking.
- The chips in the bag of potato chips settled during shipping.
(intransitive) To become clear due to the sinking of sediment. (Used especially of liquid. Also used figuratively.)
- wine settles by standing
(ambitransitive) Of an animal: to make or become pregnant.
- Some mares do not show signs of being in heat even when tried ("teased") regularly with a stallion, but they often can be settled either by natural or artificial service, provided the approximate time of ovulation is determined and they are not suffering from either a diseased or abnormal condition...1926, Farmers' Bulletin, numbers 801-825
- During March, 1926, two more mares were bred to him and on February 14, 1927 one of them foaled a perfectly formed bay stud foal. It is not known whether or not the other mare settled for she was never returned for trial.1928, The Journal of Heredity, volume 19, page 415

Noun

settle (plural settles)

(archaic) A seat of any kind.
- sit on a settle of joy with angelsc. 1348, Richard Rolle, The Form of Living
- If hunger drive the Pagans from their dens,
  One, 'gainst a settle breaketh both his shins;1608, Joshua Sylvester, “The Law”, in Du Bartas his divine weekes and workes
(archaic) A long bench with a high back and arms, often with chest or storage space underneath.
- Beneath its shade, the place of state, / On oaken settle Marmion sate, / And viewed around the blazing hearth.1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Canto Third. The Hostel, or Inn.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London...
- Let us return now to the little girl we left feigning to sleep soundly upon a settle in the kitchen.1880, Ellen Murray Beam, English translation of Captain Fracasse by Théophile Gautier
(obsolete) A place made lower than the rest; a wide step or platform lower than some other part. (Compare a depression.)
- And from the bottom upon the ground, even to the lower settle, shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 43:14

Proper noun capitalized: Settle

Settle (countable and uncountable, plural Settles)

A town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, previously in Craven district (OS grid ref SD816640).
An unincorporated community in Allen County, Kentucky, United States.
A habitational surname from Old English.

settle meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

settle in Tamil

குடியேறு, கடனை அடை, தீர்த்துக் கொள்ளுதல்

settle in Marathi

to settle, come to rest, or remain fixed in a place or position: थारणे thāraṇe
to settle, establish, or cause someone or something to remain in a place or condition: थारावणे thārāvaṇe

settle in Urdu

آباد کرنا, چکانا, فیصلہ کرنا, نبیڑنا, طے کرنا

More languagesFewer languages

settle in Bengali: বসতি স্থাপন করা, বসা, আড্ডা গাড়া, উপনিবেশ স্থাপন করা
settle in Telugu: తీర్మానించు tīrmāniñcu, కుదురు kuduru, తేరు tēru
settle in Malayalam: അടിയുക aṭiyuka, ഒതുക്കുക otukkuka
settle in Kannada: ನೆಲಸು, ತಳಸೇರು, ಕಂಡಿಸು, ಇಂಬಿಸು
settle in Punjabi: ਵੱਸਣਾ vassaṇā, ٹکنا ṭikṇā, ਨਿਬੇੜਨਾ nibeṛnā
settle in Gujarati: પતાવટ કરવી, પતાવટ કરો, સમાધાન કરવું
settle in Odia: ଭାବିବା bhābibā, ରୁହାଇବା ruhāibā, ବୁଝିବା bujhibā
settle in Sanskrit: निविश् niviś, न्यस् nyas, व्यवस्था vyavasthā
settle in Nepali: पुग्नु pugnu
settle in Pashto: مېشتول meštawë́l
settle in Arabic: اِسْتَعْمَرَ istaʕmara, اِسْتَوْطَنَ istawṭana, اِسْتَقَرَّ istaqarra

Examples of settle in a sentence

The question of the succession to a throne needs to be settled.
They settled down at an inn.
The hawk settled on a branch.
Plymouth was settled in 1620.
It is a Pamphlet, [...] It will ſettle the Wavering, confirm the Doubtful, inſtruct the Ignorant, inflame the Clamorous, though it never be once looked into.1714 February, [Jonathan Swift], The Publick Spirit of the Whigs: Set forth in Their Generous Encouragement of the Author of the Crisis...
Pausing only to settle his cloak and set his Regent's circlet on his hair, he strode to the rail and waited.2002, Tom Deitz, Warautumn, →ISBN, page 53:

All 40 example sentences with settle

Synonyms of settle

2 more synonymsFewer synonyms

fix
regulate

Antonyms

All synonyms and antonyms of settle

Forms of settle

Verb
third-person singular present	settles
present participle	settling
past participle	settled
past	settled
alternative form	sattle
Noun
plural	settles
Proper noun
plural	Settles

Past tense of settle: settled

Origin of settle

From a merger of two verbs: * Middle English setlen, from Old English setlan (“to settle, seat, put to rest”), from Old English setl (“seat”) (compare Dutch zetelen (“to be established, settle”)) and * Middle English sahtlen, seihtlen (“to reconcile, calm, subside”), from Old English sahtlian, ġesehtlian (“to reconcile”), from Old English saht, seht (“settlement, agreement, reconciliation, peace”) (see saught, -le). German siedeln (“to settle”) is related to the former of the two verbs, but is not an immediate cognate of either of them.

From Middle English settle, setle, setel, setil, seotel, from Old English setl (“that upon which one sits, a seat, a settle, a place to sit”), from Proto-Germanic *setlaz (“a seat; arm-chair”), representing Proto-Indo-European *sed-lo-, from *sed- (“sit”). Cognate with Dutch zetel, German Sessel, Latin sella.

From Old English setl (“sitting, residence”).

Phrases with settle

settle beds

Words that rhyme with settle

Questions about settle

What does settle mean?: Settle means to determine (something which was exposed to doubt or question); to resolve conclusively; to set or fix (a time, an order of succession, etc).
What is settle in Hindi?: Settle in Hindi is बसना (basnā). See Settle meaning in Hindi.
How do you use settle in a sentence?: The question of the succession to a throne needs to be settled.
What part of speech is settle?: Settle can be a verb, a noun or a proper noun.
How do you pronounce settle?: Settle is pronounced /ˈsɛ.təl/ (UK).
What is the past tense of settle?: The past tense of settle is settled.

Words near settle in the dictionary

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-us-settle.ogg.

Cite this entry: “settle.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/settle. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.