What does sitting mean?
“Sitting” most commonly describes someone who is seated or doing something while seated: a person may be sitting at a desk, beside a fire, or in the back row. The word can also indicate that a formal body is assembled and conducting business, as in a parliamentary sitting or a court sitting. In this sense, “a sitting” is one meeting or session, while “sitting” as an adjective means currently in session. Another familiar expression is “sitting duck,” denoting someone or something unusually easy to attack, criticize, or otherwise harm. The related noun “sittings” can refer to several successive meetings, particularly those held by a court, legislature, or committee. Although “sitting” looks like a simple form of “sit,” it is widely used independently in fixed expressions and institutional contexts. Its meaning ranges from an ordinary physical posture to the formal processes of public deliberation, making it a useful example of how English participles function as adjectives and nouns.
Being in a seated position or occupying a seat.
"A row of sitting visitors watched the performance."
Also used attributively in established expressions such as “sitting room,” “sitting duck,” and “sitting tenant.”
The present participle of sit, used to describe the action of sitting or a state resulting from it.
"The children sat silently on the floor."
A meeting or period during which a court, legislature, committee, or similar body conducts its business.
"The testimony was recorded during the morning sitting."
The plural “sittings” is especially common for successive sessions of a court or legislative body.
Used especially for separate or successive sessions of a court, legislature, committee, or similar body.
"The court heard the case across three sittings."
A “sitting duck” is an easy target: the phrase turns an apparently harmless, seated bird into a vivid image of someone exposed to danger.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sitting come from?
The word “sitting” comes from the Old English verb “sittan,” meaning “to be seated,” which was inherited from a Germanic root associated with sitting or taking a seat. Its historical relatives include “seat,” while more distant cognates in other languages developed from the same ancient Indo-European root for sitting. Later English usage expanded the noun sense from the act of sitting to a formal meeting or session, especially of a court or legislature.
How sitting is actually used
As an adjective or participle, “sitting” is neutral in register and can describe either a temporary position or an established arrangement, as in “a sitting duck” and “a sitting tenant.” As a noun, it commonly denotes a formal meeting or session.