setting

/ˈsɛdɪŋ/

/ˈsɛtɪŋ/

Other forms: settings

A setting is where something is set, or placed. If you want to propose to your beloved, try to choose a romantic setting.

To set means to put in place, so a setting is a placement. If you are a jeweler, you will spend a lot of time making silver and gold settings for precious stones. Setting can also mean context. If you tell me that you spent the whole weekend cooing and clucking, before I decide that you’re crazy, you might explain to me that the setting of that clucking was the birth of all the little chicks on your friend’s farm.

Definitions of setting

1. noun

   the physical position of something
   “he changed the setting on the thermostat”

   type of:

   place, position

   the particular portion of space occupied by something
2. noun

   the context and environment in which something is set
   “the perfect setting for a ghost story”

   synonyms: scene

   types:

   scenario

   a setting for a work of art or literature

   type of:

   environment, environs, surround, surroundings

   the area in which something exists or lives
3. noun

   the state of the environment in which a situation exists
   “you can't do that in a university setting”

   synonyms: background, scope

   types:

   canvas

   the setting for a narrative or fictional or dramatic account

   show window, showcase

   a setting in which something can be displayed to best effect

   type of:

   environment

   the totality of surrounding conditions
4. noun

   the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation or event
   synonyms: circumstance, context

   types:

   conditions

   the set of circumstances that affect someone's welfare

   conditions

   the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process

   type of:

   environment

   the totality of surrounding conditions
5. noun

   arrangement of scenery and properties to represent the place where a play or movie is enacted
   synonyms: mise en scene, stage setting

   type of:

   stage

   a large platform on which people can stand and can be seen by an audience
6. noun

   a mounting consisting of a piece of metal (as in a ring or other jewelry) that holds a gem in place
   synonyms: mount

   types:

   pave

   a setting with precious stones so closely set that no metal shows

   type of:

   mounting

   framework used for support or display
7. noun

   a table service for one person
   synonyms: place setting

   type of:

   service, table service

   tableware consisting of a complete set of articles (silver or dishware) for use at table