settlement

noun

SET-uhl-muhnt/ˈsɛ.təl.mənt/

12 meanings of settlement

1
nouncountable
A place where a group of people live together, such as a village or town.
Like a small cluster of homes where people make their lives together.
A new settlement grew up along the river within a few years.
The small settlement had no road linking it to the coast.
Similarcommunity, village, town
2
nouncountable
An agreement that ends a legal argument without going to court.
Like two kids agreeing to share a toy instead of asking a teacher to decide.
The two companies reached a settlement before the trial began.
Her lawyer advised her to accept the settlement.
Similaragreement, deal, payout, compromise
Note
3
nouncountable or uncountable
The end of an argument when both sides agree on an answer.
Like finally agreeing on the rules so a game can keep going.
The settlement of the border argument took many years.
Everyone hoped for a quick settlement of the family quarrel.
Similarresolution, agreement, accord, deal, compromise
Note
4
nouncountable
A new place where people have just come to live, often far from home.
Like the first few houses people put up when they move to an empty area.
The settlement was only two years old when the harvest failed.
They built a small settlement near the river mouth.
Similarcolony, outpost, community, village
5
noununcountable
The point when a buyer pays and a seller hands over the goods.
Like swapping money for a toy at the exact moment you both agreed.
Settlement happens two days after you buy the shares.
The settlement was delayed because the payment had not cleared.
Similarcompletion, clearing, closing
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6
noununcountable
The act of making something final or putting it to rest.
The settlement of the bill ended the long argument over money.
Her quick settlement of the matter surprised everyone.
Similarresolution, payment, conclusion, clearance
Note
7
noununcountable
The state of being calm, fixed, and no longer changing.
After years of moving, she finally felt a sense of settlement.
The new routine brought a welcome settlement to their busy household.
Similarstability, calm, security
Oppositeupheaval, turmoil, instability
8
nouncountable
An old place where people lived together long ago, found by diggers today.
Like the leftover marks of an old camp, showing where people once lived.
Diggers found an ancient settlement under the farmer's field.
The settlement was home to people thousands of years ago.
Similarvillage, site, encampment
Note
9
noununcountable
The slow sinking of a building into the ground over time.
Like a heavy box slowly pressing down into soft sand.
Cracks in the wall were caused by settlement of the old house.
The builders checked the ground to prevent settlement later on.
Similarsubsidence, sinking, sagging
Oppositeheave
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10
nouncountable
A legal arrangement that gives property to someone, or the act of giving it.
Like writing down that a gift will go to a certain person.
The settlement gave the family home to the eldest daughter.
Under the settlement, each child received a share of the land.
Similarendowment, conveyance, grant
Note
11
noununcountable
The place where someone legally lives, and the rights that come from living there.
Like the town that counts as your home and must look after you.
The town said he had no settlement there and could not get help.
She gained settlement in the parish after living there for a year.
Similarresidence, residency, domicile
Note
12
nounhistoricalIndiacountable
In old Bengal, a piece of land where the government took a fixed payment instead of part of the crops.
Like paying the same rent every year even when you grow less food.
The settlement brought in the same money each year, good harvest or bad.
Farmers in the settlement paid a fixed sum to the government.
Note

Practice

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Origin

It comes from the word "settle" plus the ending "-ment".