sitting

UK: /ˈsɪtɪŋ/ US: /ˈsɪtɪŋ/ ,(sit′ing)

From the verb sit: (⇒ conjugate)

sitting is: ⓘ

v pres p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sit•ting /ˈsɪtɪŋ/   n. 

[countable]
1. the act of a person or thing that sits.
2. a period of being seated, as in posing for a portrait.
3. a session, as of a court.

adj. [before a noun]

4. for, suited to, or accomplished while sitting:
   sitting areas.
5. (of a target) readily seen or hit:
   The slow freighter was a sitting target for the jets.
6. occupying an official office;
   incumbent:
   The sitting mayor will be impossible to defeat.
7. in session;
   active:
   a sitting legislature.

Idioms

8. Idioms sitting pretty, [no object] in a favorable position.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sit•ting  (sit′ing), n. 

1. the act of a person or thing that sits.
2. a period of remaining seated, as in posing for a portrait or reading a book.
3. the space on or in which one sits, as in a church.
4. a brooding, as of a hen upon eggs;
   incubation.
5. the number of eggs on which a bird sits during a single hatching;
   clutch.
6. a session, as of a court or legislature.
7. the time or space allotted to the serving of a meal to a group, as aboard a ship.

adj. 

8. (of a bird) occupying a nest of eggs for hatching.
9. of, for, or suited to sitting:
   a sitting area in the lobby.
10. holding an official position or office;
    occupying an appointed or elected seat;
    incumbent:
    a sitting pontiff.
11. in session or at work;
    active:
    a sitting legislature.
12. Idioms sitting pretty, in an auspicious position:
    He's been sitting pretty since he got that new job.

• 1175–1225; Middle English; see sit¹, -ing¹, -ing²

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sitting / ˈsɪtɪŋ/ noun

1. a continuous period of being seated: I read his novel at one sitting
2. such a period in a restaurant, canteen, etc, where space and other facilities are limited: dinner will be served in two sittings
3. the act or period of posing for one's portrait to be painted, carved, etc
4. a meeting, esp of an official body, to conduct business
5. the incubation period of a bird's eggs during which the mother sits on them to keep them warm

adjective

1. in office: a sitting Member of Parliament
2. seated: in a sitting position

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sit¹ /sɪt/   v., sat/sæt/  sat, sit•ting. 
v. 

1. to rest with the body supported by one's buttocks or thighs;
   be seated:
   [no object] I was sitting at my desk when the phone rang.
2. to (cause to) lower the body into a position of rest supported by one's buttocks or thighs: [no object; (~ + down)]
   Please sit (down); I'll be back in a minute.
   [~ + object (+ down)]
   sat the child (down) on the sofa.
3. to be located or situated;
   lie or rest:
   [no object] The house sits on a cliff.
4. [no object] to place oneself in position for an artist, etc.;
   pose.
5. to remain quiet:
   [no object] Let the matter sit.
6. Animal Behavior [no object] (of a bird) to cover eggs with the body for hatching;
   brood.
7. to fit or hang, such as a garment:
   [no object] That shirt doesn't sit well on him.
8. to have an official position, such as a legislator or judge:
   [no object* often: ~ + on + object] She sits on the committee.
9. to hold a session:
   [no object] The court sits in judgment.
10. (used after a word or root) to take care of (the specified thing) like a baby-sitter:
    to house-sit (= to live in another's house while the owners are away); to plant-sit (= to take care of another's plants while the owners are away).
11. to be accepted in the way indicated:
    [no object] His answer didn't sit right with us.
12. Informal Terms to be acceptable to the stomach:
    [no object] My breakfast didn't sit too well.
13. to provide seating accommodations;
    seat:
    [~ + object* no passive] Our table only sits six people.
14. Informal Terms to baby-sit:
    [no object] She used to sit for us when our daughter was a baby.
15. sit around, [no object* usually: ~ + around + verb-ing] to do nothing:
    The workers were sitting around ignoring their work.
16. sit in (on), [~ + in (+ on + object)] to be a spectator at (some event or circumstance):
    I'd like permission to sit in on your class.
17. sit on or upon, [~ + on/upon + object]
    • to inquire into or deliberate over:
      A coroner's jury sat on the case.
    • to put off for a time;
      postpone.
    • Informal Terms to check;
      squelch:
      to sit on nasty rumors.
18. sit out:
    • [~ + out + object] to stay to the end of:
      He sat out the whole movie in silence.
    • to stay, wait, or endure longer than: [~ + out + object]
      to sit out one's rivals.
      [~ + object + out]
      to sit them out.
    • to keep one's seat during (a dance, etc.);
      fail to participate in (an activity): [~ + out + object]
      I think I'll sit out the next dance.
      [~ + object + out]
      I'll have to sit this one out; I'm a little tired.
19. sit up:
    • to (cause to) rise from a lying or reclining position to a sitting position: [no object]
      Sit up straight and answer me.
      [~ + object + up]
      The nurse sat him up in his bed.
    • [no object* often: ~ + up + verb-ing] to be awake and active during one's usual sleep time:
      to sit up all night playing solitaire.
    • [no object] to become interested;
      take notice:
      This will make them sit up and notice.

Idioms

20. Idioms sit on one's hands:
    • to fail to applaud.
    • to fail to take proper or necessary action.
21. Idioms sit tight, [no object] to take no action;
    wait:
    Sit tight, and when I give you the signal, then move.

sit•ter, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sit¹  (sit), v., sat or (Archaic) sate;
sat or (Archaic) sit•ten;
sit•ting. 
v.i. 

1. to rest with the body supported by the buttocks or thighs;
   be seated.
2. to be located or situated:
   The house sits well up on the slope.
3. to rest or lie (usually fol. by on or upon):
   An aura of greatness sits easily upon him.
4. to place oneself in position for an artist, photographer, etc.;
   pose:
   to sit for a portrait.
5. to remain quiet or inactive:
   They let the matter sit.
6. Animal Behavior (of a bird) to perch or roost.
7. Animal Behavior (of a hen) to cover eggs to hatch them;
   brood.
8. to fit, rest, or hang, as a garment:
   The jacket sits well on your shoulders.
9. to occupy a place or have a seat in an official assembly or in an official capacity, as a legislator, judge, or bishop.
10. to be convened or in session, as an assembly.
11. to act as a baby-sitter.
12. Meteorology (of wind) to blow from the indicated direction:
    The wind sits in the west tonight.
13. to be accepted or considered in the way indicated:
    Something about his looks just didn't sit right with me.
14. Informal Terms to be acceptable to the stomach:
    Something I ate for breakfast didn't sit too well.

v.t. 

15. to cause to sit;
    seat (often fol. by down):
    Sit yourself down. He sat me near him.
16. to sit astride or keep one's seat on (a horse or other animal):
    She sits her horse gracefully.
17. to provide seating accommodations or seating room for;
    seat:
    Our dining-room table only sits six people.
18. Informal Terms to serve as baby-sitter for:
    A neighbor can sit the children while you go out.
19. sit down:
    • to take a seat.
    • to descend to a sitting position;
      alight.
    • to take up a position, as to encamp or besiege:
      The military forces sat down at the approaches to the city.
20. sit in:
    • to attend or take part as a visitor or temporary participant:
      to sit in at a bridge game; to sit in for the band's regular pianist.
    • to take part in a sit-in.
21. sit in on, to be a spectator, observer, or visitor at:
    to sit in on classes.
22. sit on or upon:
    • to inquire into or deliberate over:
      A coroner's jury was called to sit on the case.
    • [Informal.] to suppress;
      silence:
      They sat on the bad news as long as they could.
    • Informal Terms to check or rebuke;
      squelch:
      I'll sit on him if he tries to interrupt me.
23. Idioms sit on one's hands:
    • Idioms to fail to applaud.
    • Idioms to fail to take appropriate action.
24. sit out:
    • to stay to the end of:
      Though bored, we sat out the play.
    • to surpass in endurance:
      He sat out his tormentors.
    • to keep one's seat during (a dance, competition, etc.);
      fail to participate in:
      We sat out all the Latin-American numbers.
25. Informal Terms sit pretty, to be in a comfortable situation:
    He's been sitting pretty ever since he got that new job.
26. sit tight, to bide one's time;
    take no action:
    I'm going to sit tight till I hear from you.
27. sit up:
    • to rise from a supine to a sitting position.
    • to delay the hour of retiring beyond the usual time.
    • to sit upright;
      hold oneself erect.
    • [Informal.] to become interested or astonished:
      We all sat up when the holiday was announced.

• bef. 900; Middle English sitten, Old English sittan; cognate with Dutch zitten, German sitzen, Old Norse sitja; akin to Gothic sitan, Latin sedēre, Greek hézesthai (base hed-); compare set, sedate, cathedral, nest

Synonyms

• 10. meet.
• assemble.
• convene.
• gather..

Usage

Cf. set. 

sit²  (sit), v. 

1. Drugs (in prescriptions) may it be.

• Latin

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sit / sɪt/ verb (sits, sitting, sat)(mainly intr)

1. (also tr; when intr, often followed by down, in, or on) to adopt or rest in a posture in which the body is supported on the buttocks and thighs and the torso is more or less upright: to sit on a chair, sit a horse
2. (transitive) to cause to adopt such a posture
3. (of an animal) to adopt or rest in a posture with the hindquarters lowered to the ground
4. (of a bird) to perch or roost
5. (of a hen or other bird) to cover eggs to hatch them; brood
6. to be situated or located
7. (of the wind) to blow from the direction specified
8. to adopt and maintain a posture for one's portrait to be painted, etc
9. to occupy or be entitled to a seat in some official capacity, as a judge, elected representative, etc
10. (of a deliberative body) to be convened or in session
11. to remain inactive or unused: his car sat in the garage for a year
12. (of a garment) to fit or hang as specified: that dress sits well on you
13. to weigh, rest, or lie as specified: greatness sits easily on him
14. (transitive) to take (an examination): he's sitting his bar finals
15. (usually followed by for) to be a candidate (for a qualification): he's sitting for a BA
16. (intr; in combination) to look after a specified person or thing for someone else: granny-sit
17. (transitive) to have seating capacity for
18. sit tight ⇒ to wait patiently; bide one's time
19. to maintain one's position, stand, or opinion firmly

Etymology: Old English sittan; related to Old Norse sitja, Gothic sitan, Old High German sizzen, Latin sedēre to sit, Sanskrit sīdati he sits