From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsituationsit‧u‧a‧tion /ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃən/ ●●● S1 W1 noun [countable] 1 SITUATIONa 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 PLACEthe 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-fashionedJOB/WORK a job She managed to get a situation as a parlour maid.COLLOCATIONSverbscreate a situation (=cause it to happen)Tom’s arrival created an awkward situation.assess/review a situationBallater 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 situationHe had no idea how to deal with the situation.improve/remedy a situationThey 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 changesThe situation could change very rapidly.a situation improvesThe situation has improved over the last decade.a situation worsens/deteriorates/gets worseReports from the area suggest the situation has worsened.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + situationdifficult/trickyThis book will show you how to deal with difficult situations.impossible (=very difficult)I was in an impossible situation.dangerousThe situation was becoming increasingly dangerous.the present/current situationThe present situation in Afghanistan is very worrying.the economic/political situationThe 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.somebody’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.
Examples from the Corpus
situation• If you are ever in a situation where someone starts shooting, drop to the ground.• In a situation humanly desperate, with the race line hardening, there is hope.• As she well knows, hers is not a situation of personal failure.• The guidelines also place obligations on the responding members in each of the above situations including content and timeliness of response.• The news of more stock market losses could make the difficult economic situation worse.• The economic situation in the US is getting better.• What's the best way to deal with an embarrassing situation at work?• In the present situation, I don't think it would be a good idea to try to sell your house.• The proper investment balance depends on each investor's situation.• But Sheila's situation does not lend itself to action.• In Mesoamerica the social situation was quite different.• I tried to explain the situation to my boss.• With no rain for six months, the situation in the region was becoming desperate.• I should have known that eventually some man would come along and take advantage of the situation.• For most refugees, the situation is pretty hopeless.• Everyone knew how serious the situation was.• I feel absolutely content with the situation.• This situation has enormous implications for all patients who require an extra contractual referral based on clinical need.• In your situation, I would have done exactly the same thing.in a ... situation• In another situation we encountered a young woman, Colleen, who was experiencing anxiety during her thirty-second week of pregnancy.• In the situation at the beginning of the twenty-first century, what are the major shortcomings with each of these decisions?• In this situation, universities have three choices.• Without taking adequate precautions, they too could be in the same situation themselves by the end of the year.• And with Superstyle Twin Track, a valance rail allows you to add a little extra style even in those awkward situations.• They always seem intent on involvement in the situation and find pleasure and enjoyment in analyzing relationships of others.• Novacek is the man Aikman counts on in short-yardage situations and close to the goal line.• Women in this situation had an important role and training had helped them to manage during the husband's absence.From Longman Business Dictionarysituationsit‧u‧a‧tion /ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃən/ noun [countable] a combination of all that is happening and all the conditions that exist at a particular time and placeI’d better go and see the boss and explain the situation.In view of the company’s financial situation, there will be no salary increases this year.We are unlikely to have a full-employment situation this year. → special situation 