seat
seat
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling of "seat" is /siːt/.
/siːt/
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: seat
Plural Noun: seats
Verb (base form): seat
Verb (third person singular present): seats
Verb (present participle): seating
Verb (past tense/past participle): seated
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A designated place for one to sit, typically a piece of furniture designed for this purpose, such as a chair, bench, or stool. It can also refer to a specific spot in a larger seating arrangement, like in an auditorium or vehicle.
Synonyms: chair, bench, perch, stool, spot, place
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a "seat" as an object, but concepts like "standing area" or "empty space" could be considered contextually.)
Definition 2: The part of the body one sits on; the buttocks.
Synonyms: bottom, derrière, backside, rump
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms)
Definition 3: A location that serves as the center or principal place of something, such as a government, an institution, or a particular activity.
Synonyms: headquarters, center, hub, core, base, capital
Antonyms: periphery, outpost, satellite
Verb
Definition 1: To cause someone or something to sit; to provide a place for someone to sit.
Synonyms: place, set, install, accommodate
Antonyms: stand, remove, unseat
Definition 2: (Of a vehicle or venue) To have enough space for a particular number of people to sit.
Synonyms: hold, accommodate, contain
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; implies a capacity, so "overflow" or "be full" might be contextual opposites)
Examples of Use
Books:
"He sank into the plush seat of the armchair, a sigh escaping him." (From The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, originally published 1911)
"The captain ordered all passengers to return to their seats and fasten their seatbelts." (From Flight Risk by Laura Griffin)
Newspapers:
"The city council approved a new measure to add more outdoor seating to downtown restaurants." (As reported in The Sacramento Bee)
"Early results suggest a tight race for the open parliamentary seat." (Reported by Reuters)
Online Publications:
"How to choose the best car seat for your toddler's safety." (Parenting.com)
"The company announced it would be relocating its corporate seat to a new, larger office space." (Forbes.com)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television Show: "Please take your seats, ladies and gentlemen, the show is about to begin." (Dialogue from America's Got Talent, Season 19)
Movie: "He slid into the driver's seat and started the engine." (From the film Top Gun: Maverick)
Video Game: "The player must find the hidden seat to activate the ancient mechanism." (From The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom)
Podcast: "Our guest today will discuss the ongoing debate for the Supreme Court seat." (From NPR's Up First podcast)
General Public Discourse:
"Could you move your bag off that seat so I can sit down?" (Common request in public transport)
"Make sure you get a good seat at the concert if you want to see the stage clearly." (Advice among friends)
"The university is the seat of academic excellence in the region." (Statement about an institution)
"I need to seat all these guests before the ceremony begins." (Organizer's instruction at an event)
10 Quotes Using Seat
"The ballot is stronger than the bullet." (Abraham Lincoln, regarding the power of the vote over violence, with "ballot" implicitly representing a seat of power)
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." (Lord Acton, often related to those in a seat of authority)
"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." (Vince Lombardi, emphasizing effort regardless of holding a "winner's seat")
"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." (Martin Luther King Jr., a choice for those in any seat of influence)
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" (Martin Luther King Jr., speaking of a nation's moral seat)
"When you sit down to write, you are saying, 'I'm going to create something that wasn't here before.'" (Paula Scher, on the act of taking a writer's seat)
"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven." (John Milton, Paradise Lost, referring to the mind as the seat of perception)
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change." (Leon C. Megginson, often misattributed to Charles Darwin, concerning adaptability for a seat in existence)
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke, a call to action for those in any seat to prevent wrongdoing)
"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." (Oscar Wilde, an encouragement to be authentic in one's own unique seat in the world)
Etymology
The word "seat" has a long history, going back to very old Germanic languages. Its origins are closely tied to the idea of "sitting."
It came into English from Middle English as "sete," which in turn came from Old English words like "gesete" or "sǣte." These Old English words were related to the verb "sittan," meaning "to sit."
It's also connected to similar words in other old Germanic languages, like the Old Norse word "sæti," which also meant "seat" or "position." All these words ultimately trace back to an even older shared root in a language called Proto-Indo-European, which had a word like "*sed-" that meant "to sit."
The first known use of "seat" in English was around the 13th century. Back then, its main meaning was "a thing to sit on" or "a place where one sits." Over time, the meaning expanded to include things like a "place of authority" (like a king's seat or a government seat) or even the "buttocks," simply because that's the part of the body that interacts with a seat.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Seat
Take a seat: To sit down.
Have a seat: An invitation for someone to sit down.
Backseat driver: A passenger who gives unwanted advice about driving.
Driver's seat: A position of control or influence.
Seat of power/government: The central place from which authority is exercised.
Seat of learning: An institution, typically a university, known for education and scholarship.
By the seat of one's pants: To do something by instinct and improvisation rather than skill or planning.
To unseat someone: To remove someone from a position of power or authority.
Warm seat: A comfortable and secure position.
Hot seat: A difficult or uncomfortable situation, often involving intense scrutiny.
Prime seat: A very good or advantageous position for viewing something.
A front-row seat: A position that provides an excellent view or direct involvement in an event.
Rear-seat passenger: Someone who is not in control of a situation.
Pull up a seat: To join a group and sit down.
To be seated: To be in a sitting position.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of seat from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
