sit ‧ u ‧ a ‧ tion S1 W1 /ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . a combination of all the things that are happening and all the conditions that exist at a particular time in a particular place:
I explained the situation to everyone.
in a ... situation
She coped well in a very difficult situation.
2 . the type of area where a building is situated – used especially by people who sell or advertise buildings SYN location :
The house is in a charming situation, on a wooded hillside.
3 . old-fashioned a job:
She managed to get a situation as a parlour maid.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ create a situation (=cause it to happen)
Tom’s arrival created an awkward situation.
▪ assess/review a situation
Ballater was trying to assess the situation objectively.
▪ monitor a situation (=watch to see how it develops)
The bank is monitoring the situation closely.
▪ deal with a situation
He had no idea how to deal with the situation.
▪ improve/remedy a situation
They are doing what they can to improve the situation.
▪ defuse the situation (=make people less angry)
She’d just been trying to calm Gerry down and defuse the situation.
▪ a situation arises formal (=it happens)
This situation has arisen as a result of a serious staff shortage.
▪ a situation comes about (=it happens)
I don’t know how this situation has come about.
▪ a situation changes
The situation could change very rapidly.
▪ a situation improves
The situation has improved over the last decade.
▪ a situation worsens/deteriorates/gets worse
Reports from the area suggest the situation has worsened.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + situation
▪ difficult/tricky
This book will show you how to deal with difficult situations.
▪ impossible (=very difficult)
I was in an impossible situation.
▪ dangerous
The situation was becoming increasingly dangerous.
▪ the present/current situation
The present situation in Afghanistan is very worrying.
▪ the economic/political situation
The country’s economic situation continued to deteriorate.
▪ the security situation (=how safe a place is)
Until the security situation improves, it is far too dangerous for staff to work there.
▪ sb’s financial situation (=how much money someone has)
What is your current financial situation?
▪ a social situation (=a situation in which someone is with other people)
He felt uncomfortable in social situations.
▪ a work situation (=a situation at work)
These problems often arise in work situations.
▪ a no-win situation (=one in which there will be a bad result whatever happens)
It’s a no-win situation.
▪ a win-win situation (=one in which everyone gets what they want)
Shorter work weeks are a win-win situation for both the employee and employer.