Seat — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈsēt/

Meaning & Definition of Seat

Seat (noun)

  1. a special chair of one in eminence; also, the status represented by it
  2. a chair, stool, or bench intended to be sat in or on
  3. the particular part of something on which one rests in sitting

Seat (verb)

  1. to install in a seat of dignity or office
  2. to cause to sit or assist in finding a seat
  3. to provide seats for

Seat (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a place from which authority is exercised

    "all applications had to be submitted at the county seat for proper processing"

    similar: command, headquarters
    related: high command, center, home, capital

  2. the part of the body upon which someone sits

    "fell down on his well-padded seat"

    similar: backside, behind, booty (slang), bottom, breech, bum, buns, butt, buttocks, caboose, can, cheeks, derriere, duff, fanny, fundament, hams, haunches, heinie (slang), hunkers, keister (slang), nates, posterior, rear, rear end, rump, tail, tail end, tush (slang)
    related: beam, stern, moon (slang)

  3. a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest

    "a capital that is the seat of culture for the whole nation"

    similar: axis, base, capital, center, central, core, cynosure, epicenter, eye, focus, ground zero, heart, hub, locus, mecca, navel, nerve center, nexus, nucleus, omphalos, where it's at
    related: headquarters, happy hunting ground, hive, hotbed, hot spot, playground, playland, kernel, nub, pith, deep, thick, essence, quintessence, soul, attraction, lodestone, magnet, polestar

Seat (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause to sit down

    "the usher seated them in the third row"

    similar: set down, sit
    related: ensconce, settle, lay, lie, rest, place, put, recline, repose

  2. to put into an office or welcome into an organization with special ceremonies

    "one of the first appointments that he made after being seated as president of the state senate"

    similar: baptize, inaugurate, induct, initiate, install, instate, invest
    related: swear in, consecrate, enshrine, accept, admit, receive, take in, enlist, enroll
    near: can, discharge, fire, terminate, muster out

Related Entry: Catbird seat (noun)

Catbird seat is a different word from Seat. The synonyms below are for catbird seat, not for seat.

  1. the more favorable condition or position in a competition

    "your fluency in French should put you in the catbird seat for getting the Paris posting"

    similar: advantage, better, bulge, drop, edge, high ground, inside track, jump, pull, stead, upper hand, vantage, whip hand, coign of vantage
    related: allowance, head start, lead, leg up, margin, odds, start, ascendancy, command, dominance, mastery, predominance, superiority, supremacy, transcendence, transcendency, precedence, preference, prerogative, privilege, seniority, break, foothold, opportunity, benefit, blessing, boon, felicity, godsend, manna, windfall
    opposite: disadvantage, drawback, handicap, liability, minus, penalty, strike
    near: detriment, stranglehold, disparity, imbalance, inequality, unevenness, disability, failing, impairment, shortcoming, bar, catch, check, clog, crimp, embarrassment, hindrance, hitch, hurdle, impediment, interference, let, manacle, obstacle, obstruction, rub, shackle, stop, trammel, lurch, setback

  2. the center of public attention

    "in the wake of the natural disaster, this obscure bureaucrat was suddenly and unexpectedly thrust into the catbird seat"

    similar: center stage, limelight, spotlight, top billing
    related: front burner, attention, heed, notice
    near: background, obscurity, shadow

Related Entry: Driver's seat (noun)

Driver's seat is a different word from Seat. The synonyms below are for driver's seat, not for seat.

  1. the place of leadership or command

    "with her boss's early retirement, she unexpectedly found herself in the driver's seat"

    similar: chair, head, headship, helm, rein(s)
    related: chieftainship, commandership, directorship, forefront, lead, vanguard, captainship, chairmanship, deanship, dictatorship, generalship, governorship, kingship, mastership, mastery, premiership, presidency, presidentship, superintendency, dominance, dominion, jurisdiction, sovereignty, sway, upper hand, eminence, height, pedestal, pinnacle, seat, throne, top
    near: ranks

Related Entry: Love seat (noun)

Love seat is a different word from Seat. The synonyms below are for love seat, not for seat.

  1. as in lounger, recamier

    similar: lounger, recamier, tête-à-tête, chesterfield, couch, davenport, divan, lounge, settee, sofa, squab, daybed, sofa bed, studio couch, banquette, bench, ottoman

Related Entry: Take (verb)

Take is a different word from Seat. The synonyms below are for take, not for seat.

  1. to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms

    "take my hand, or we'll get separated in this crowd"

    similar: clasp, grasp, grip, hold, hang on to, lay hold of
    related: clench, cling (to), clutch, hold on (to), catch, nab, seize, snatch
    near: discharge, drop, free, liberate, release, deliver, entrust, give, hand, hand over, pass, relinquish, transfer, transmit, turn over, unhand

  2. to agree to receive whether willingly or reluctantly

    "will you take that call?"

    "took a cut in pay"

    similar: accept, have
    related: accede (to), assent (to), concede (to), confirm, consent (to), OK, ratify, sanction, warrant, acquiesce (to), bow (to), capitulate (to), give in (to), submit (to), succumb (to), surrender (to), yield (to), abide, bear, brook, countenance, endure, shoulder, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, swallow, sweat out, tolerate, adopt, embrace, welcome
    opposite: decline, deny, disallow, disapprove, negative, refuse, reject, spurn, turn down, veto
    near: dissent (to), object (to), oppose, protest, hold off, resist, withstand, combat, contest, fight

  3. to become affected with (a disease or disorder)

    "if you don't cover your head in this weather, you'll take cold and be stuck inside all weekend"

    similar: catch, come down (with), contract, get, go down (with) (chiefly British), sicken (with)
    related: break out (with), die (from), succumb (to), fail, languish, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither, worsen
    near: come back, gain, heal, mend, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back, rally, rebound, recover (from), shake (off)

  4. to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities

    "you can take the white side this time, since I got to be white for our last chess game"

    similar: cherry-pick, choose, cull, elect, handpick, name, opt (for), pick, prefer, select, single (out), tag
    related: preselect, appoint, designate, fix, mark, nominate, set, tab, tap, accept, adopt, embrace, espouse, settle (on or upon)
    opposite: decline, refuse, reject, turn down
    near: disapprove, negative, repudiate, spurn, discard, jettison, throw away, throw out

  5. to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for

    "I'll take two cheeseburgers to go, please"

    similar: buy, cop (slang), pick up, purchase
    related: acquire, gain, garner, get, obtain, procure, secure, win, finance, pay (for), spring (for), barter (for), deal (for), dicker (over), exchange (for), haggle (for), negotiate (about), trade (for), bargain (with), chaffer (with), horse-trade (with), palter (with), bid, offer, rebuy, repurchase
    near: deal (in), market, merchandise, retail, sell, vend

  6. to have as a requirement

    "it will take a lot of courage to stand up for what is right"

    similar: bear, challenge, claim, demand, necessitate, need, require, want, warrant, call for
    related: entail, involve, ask, beg, clamor (for), cry (for), hurt (for), lack, command, enjoin, exact, insist, press, quest, stipulate
    opposite: have, hold
    near: own, possess

  7. to make or have room for

    "I think we can take two more in this elevator"

    similar: accommodate, fit, hold
    related: carry, contain, seat, enclose, encompass, enfold, harbor, house

  8. to produce a desired effect

    "it will be a few hours before this medication takes"

    similar: act, operate, perform, work, take effect, take hold
    related: behave, react, respond, affect, influence, sway, pan out, redound, result
    near: backfire, fizzle

  9. to put up with (something painful or difficult)

    "I can't take anymore of your whining about your former boyfriend"

    similar: abide, absorb, accept, bear, bide (chiefly dialect), brook, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, meet, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, sweat out, tolerate, wear (British), live with, lump (it), stand for, tough it out
    related: allow, permit, suffer, swallow, reconcile (to), acquiesce, agree (with or to), assent (to), capitulate, consent (to), respect, submit (to), yield (to)
    near: decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down, combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist, avoid, bypass, circumvent, dodge, elude, escape, evade, miss, abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)

  10. to regard as right or true

    "I think we can take his word for it"

    similar: accept, believe, buy, credit, swallow, trust, set store by
    related: account, accredit, understand, assume, presume, suppose, conclude, deduce, infer
    opposite: disbelieve, discredit, reject
    near: distrust, doubt, misdoubt, mistrust, question, suspect, challenge, dispute

  11. to achieve a victory over

    "I know we can take that team"

    similar: beat, best, conquer, defeat, dispatch, do down (British), get, get around, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), skunk, stop, subdue, surmount, trim, triumph (over), upend, win (against), worst, get the better of, knock for a loop
    related: sweep, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), annihilate, blow away, blow out, bomb, break, bury, clobber, cream, crush, drub, finish, flatten, overwhelm, rout, shellac, skin, slaughter, smoke (slang), snow under, thrash, trounce, upset, wallop, wax (slang), whip, cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, subjugate, unseat, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend
    opposite: lose (to)
    near: fall, give up, go down, go under, collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, wash out

  12. to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently

    "let's take each problem separately"

    similar: address, contend (with), cope (with), field, grapple (with), hack, handle, manage, maneuver, manipulate, negotiate, play, swing, treat, come to grips with, have a grip on
    related: engineer, finesse, jockey, bring off, carry off, carry out, get off, pull, command, direct, guide, steer, control, micromanage, regulate, run, react (to), respond (to)
    near: botch, bungle, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), mishandle, muff, scamp

  13. to offer entrance (as to a place, school, or privilege) to

    "the school takes only a small percentage of the thousands of applicants"

    similar: admit, enter, receive
    related: entertain, welcome, fellowship, confirm, ratify
    opposite: ban, bar
    near: decline, disallow, disapprove, dismiss, refuse, reject, blackball, blacklist, ostracize, banish, deport, exile, expel, oust, throw out

  14. to deprive of life

    "I never thought heart disease would take such an athletic and health-conscious person"

    similar: carry off, claim, croak (slang), destroy, dispatch, do in, fell, kill, slay, do away with, do for (chiefly British), make away with
    related: bump off, butcher, cut down, finish, get, ice (slang), knock off, murder, neutralize, off (slang), put away, rub out, scrag, snuff, take out, waste, whack (slang), annihilate, blot out, decimate, kill off, massacre, mow, slaughter, smite, assassinate, execute, martyr, terminate, euthanize, put down, suicide
    opposite: animate
    near: raise, restore, resurrect, resuscitate, revive, nurture

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Seat

The most common words with a similar meaning to Seat:

Slang: booty, heinie, keister, tush
command, headquarters, backside, behind, bottom, breech, bum, buns, butt, buttocks, caboose, can, cheeks, derriere, duff, fanny, fundament, hams, haunches, hunkers, nates, posterior, rear, rear end, rump, tail, tail end, axis, base, capital, center, central, core, cynosure, epicenter, eye, focus, ground zero, heart, hub

Related Words for Seat

high command, home, beam, stern, moon, happy hunting ground, hive, hotbed, hot spot, playground, playland, kernel, nub, pith, deep, thick, essence, quintessence, soul, attraction, lodestone, magnet, polestar, ensconce, settle, lay, lie, rest, place, put

Near Antonyms of Seat

can, discharge, fire, terminate, muster out

Word Forms of Seat

Inflections: seated, seating, seats

Origin & Etymology of Seat

Middle English sete, from Old Norse sæti; akin to Old English gesete seat, sittan to sit

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Seat

Words & Phrases Containing Seat

seat belt, seat-of-the-pants, back seat, banana seat, bench seat, booster seat, box seat, bucket seat

Frequently Asked Questions about Seat

What does "Seat" mean?

"Seat" means a special chair of one in eminence; also, the status represented by it. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a special chair of one in eminence; also, the status represented by it. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Seat"?

Other words for "Seat" include command, headquarters, backside, behind, booty, bottom, breech and bum. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Seat" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Seat"?

There are 102 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Seat". Common alternatives include command, headquarters, backside, behind, booty, bottom, breech, bum, buns and butt.

What is a slang word for "Seat"?

Slang words for "Seat" include booty, heinie, keister and tush.

How do you use "Seat" in a sentence?

Examples of "Seat" in a sentence: "all applications had to be submitted at the county seat for proper processing"; "fell down on his well-padded seat"; "a capital that is the seat of culture for the whole nation".

Is "Seat" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Seat" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Seat" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Seat" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Seat"?

"Seat" is pronounced /ˈsēt/.