seat

SEET/siːt/

Pluralseats

Verbseats, seating, seated

24 meanings of seat

Practice

1
place to sitnouncountable
A place for one person to sit, such as on a train, on a plane, or in a theater.
Excuse me, is this seat taken?
We booked our seats on the train a week early.
UsageTake a seat means sit down. You can also save or book a seat.
Similarplace
2
role as membernounfigurativelycountable
Membership in a group, especially one like a council whose members speak for other people.
She earned a seat on the company board this year.
They offered him a seat on the planning committee.
UsageSay a seat on the board, but a seat in parliament.
Similarplace, position, post
3
nouncountable
A chair, stool, bench, or anything else used for sitting on.
Pull up a seat and join us at the table.
We used an old log as a seat by the fire.
4
capitalnouncountable
The place where a government or ruling group is based.
This city has been the seat of government for centuries.
Their old hall became the seat of the new council.
UsageOften in the seat of government.
Similarcenter, capital, headquarters, base
5
voting districtnouncountable
A voting area that elects one member to a parliament.
Like one zone of a country that chooses a single person to speak for it.
Her party won the seat by just a few hundred votes.
Several seats changed hands in last week's election.
UsageIn an election, a party can win, hold or lose a seat.
Similarconstituency, district
Note
6
sitting surfacenouncountable
The flat part of a chair or bench that you sit on.
The seat of the old chair had cracked down the middle.
She reupholstered the worn seats on all the dining chairs.
Similarbottom
7
have room forverbtransitive
To give someone a place to sit.
Our little kitchen table can only seat four.
They can seat fifty guests in the main hall.
UsageA room or table can seat a number of people: the car seats five.
Similaraccommodate, hold, sit, take
Note
8
place peopleverbtransitive
To take people to their seats or tell them where to sit.
Please seat the children quietly before story time.
The host seated everyone and asked them to stay put.
UsageIn restaurants you may see Please wait to be seated.
9
sitenouncountable
The place where something is based, or where a quality or feeling lives.
Like the main office where the boss works: the place where the real power sits.
Many people once thought the heart was the seat of love.
The doctor found that the seat of the pain was low in his back.
UsageUsually the seat of something, like the seat of love.
Similarsite, center, location, focus
Note

Less common meanings

10
verbtransitive
To put someone or something firmly into a place, post, or position.
The rebels hoped to seat their own leader on the throne.
Once firmly seated in power, the new king forgave his old enemies.
UsageOften firmly seated or deep-seated, meaning fixed and hard to move.
Similarinstall, place, establish, instate, appoint
Oppositeunseat, depose, oust, remove
11
fit firmlyverbtransitive
To put something firmly into the place where it belongs.
Like pushing a puzzle piece down until it clicks into place.
Seat the battery firmly in its slot before closing the cover.
He seated the bolt deep into the hole.
Similarfit, set, insert, install, mount
12
bottomnouncountable
The part of the body you sit on: the buttocks.
He slipped on the wet floor and came down hard on his seat.
Hours in the saddle left her seat sore and aching.
Similarbottom, backside, behind, rear
13
trousers partnouncountable
The part of pants that covers your bottom.
The seat of his jeans was worn thin and ready to tear.
She patched the seat of the old work pants.
UsageFly by the seat of your pants means do something without a plan.
14
admit (member)verbtransitive
To officially let someone join a meeting by giving them a place to sit and take part.
Like letting a new player officially join the team so they can play in the game.
The committee voted to seat the new members at the start of the session.
They agreed to seat both delegates so each one could vote.
Similaradmit, recognize, accept, accredit
Note
15
country housenouncountable
A big house in the country, often the main home of a rich, old family.
Like a vacation home where a family goes to relax for part of the year.
The old family seat is now a hotel with a large garden.
Their country seat had forty rooms and its own lake.
UsageOften in family seat or country seat.
Similarresidence, estate, home, manor
16
socketnouncountable
A part or surface that another part rests on firmly.
Like the little dip a ball settles into so it won't roll away.
The mechanic ground the valve seat until it was smooth.
The pipe fitting pressed tightly against its seat.
Similarsocket
Note
17
riding posturenouncountable
The way a rider sits on a horse.
Like keeping your balance on a bike, but on a moving horse.
The instructor praised her steady seat in the saddle.
A good seat keeps you balanced when the horse jumps.
Similarposture, position
Note
18
ejection (aircraft)nounslangcountable
In a military plane, the special chair that shoots a pilot out to safety in an emergency.
When the engine caught fire, the pilot pulled the handle, and her seat shot her out of the jet.
The jet was on fire, so the pilot fired the seat.
Note
19
fire originnouncountable
The exact spot where a fire first started.
Like the center of a campfire, where the flames burn strongest.
Firefighters traced the smoke back to the seat of the blaze in the basement.
Once they found the seat of the fire, they aimed the hoses straight at it.
Similarorigin, source, heart, center
20
fit new bottomverbtransitive
To put a new seat or bottom into a chair or stool.
The carpenter offered to seat the old kitchen chair with new cane.
She learned to seat a stool using woven rush.
21
verbobsoleteintransitive
To rest, or to lie down for a while.
The folds, where sheepe at night doe seat.
1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie QueeneHere, seat means rest or lie down.
Note
22
settle landverbarchaictransitive
To fill an area with people who come to live there.
The Plantations, for the most Part, are high and pleasantly seated
1747, William Stith, The History of the First Discovery and Settlement of Virginia
Similarsettle, populate, people, colonize
Oppositedepopulate
23
nounEnglandWales
A short work placement in one department, done by a lawyer in training.
24
nounhistorical
A self-governing district in the old kingdom of Hungary.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of seat apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Old English sǣte, going back to an old root meaning "to sit." It may be linked to Old Norse sæti, also meaning "seat."

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Seat derives from Old English sǣte. en.wiktionary.org
Seat ultimately derives from a root meaning “to sit.” en.wiktionary.org
Seat may be linked to Old Norse sæti, meaning “seat.” en.wiktionary.org