situation
/ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌsi-chə-ˈwā-shən/ (ame, mw)
situation — noun
1. the combination of events and conditions that exist somewhere at a given moment
the combination of events and conditions that exist somewhere at a given moment and shape what occurs there
Jisoo found herself in a difficult situation when her car broke down on the motorway.
in + adjective + situation
The company's financial situation has improved since the new director took over.
financial / economic / political + situation
In a situation like this, the best thing to do is stay calm and call for help.
Roya explained the whole situation to her parents before making a decision.
- circumstances
refers to the conditions affecting a situation, often used in plural
- state of affairs
more formal; describes how things are at a particular time
- conditions
focuses on the physical or practical factors rather than the whole picture
文法句型
the + adj + situation
in + adj + situation
用法筆記
This is the most common meaning of situation. It can describe personal circumstances (difficult situation), broad conditions (economic situation), or a set of events that need a response (political situation).
常見錯誤
2. a paid position within a company or organization that someone fills as their job
a paid position within a company or organization that someone fills as their job
Christopher is looking for a new situation in the publishing industry.
situation = job (formal, chiefly British)
The newspaper listed several situations vacant at the local hospital.
situations vacant = jobs available
Aarav's first situation after university was as an assistant editor at a small press.
Trang held a situation as a cashier at the local bank for about two years.
文法句型
situation + as + noun
situation + in + noun
用法筆記
This sense is formal and somewhat dated. It survives most commonly in the fixed phrase situations vacant, used as a heading for job advertisements in newspapers.
常見錯誤
3. the physical place where a building, town, or similar structure stands, especial
the physical place where a building, town, or similar structure stands, especially when considering the area nearby
The hotel sits in a beautiful situation on a hill overlooking the coast.
beautiful / pleasant + situation (location sense)
Dahlia chose that plot of land because she loved the quiet situation away from the main road.
The situation of the castle made it easy to defend against attackers.
Marta decided to buy the house partly because of its sunny situation near the park.
文法句型
in + adj + situation
用法筆記
This sense is more formal than location or position. It is most often used in descriptions of buildings, towns, or geographical features when the writer wants to emphasise how the place relates to its surroundings.