settlement
n.-
1 legal agreement (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Lawan official agreement that finishes an argument or a legal case.
the resolution of a dispute or lawsuit, often involving a financial arrangement to avoid further litigation.
ExampleThe two companies reached a settlement out of court to avoid a long trial.
ExampleAfter months of bitter negotiation, the parties finally signed a multi-million dollar settlement that effectively ended the class-action lawsuit.
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2 a small community (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea place where people have come to live and build homes, especially where few people lived before.
a newly established or small community, such as a village or colony, often in a previously uninhabited area.
ExampleThe early settlers built a small settlement near the river for easy access to water.
ExampleArchaeologists discovered the remains of a Viking settlement, providing new evidence of their presence in North America centuries before Columbus.
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3 financial payment (n.) C1 Advanced Formal Financethe final payment of money that you owe.
the process of paying a debt or finishing a financial transaction.
ExampleThe bank requested full settlement of the debt within thirty days.
ExampleThe final settlement of the estate took nearly two years due to the complexity of the deceased's international assets.
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4 building sinking (n.) C2 Proficiency Technical Architecturethe way a building slowly sinks into the ground over time.
the gradual sinking of a structure into the ground as the soil beneath it compresses.
ExampleThe cracks in the wall were caused by the natural settlement of the house.
ExampleEngineers monitored the foundation closely, concerned that uneven settlement might compromise the structural integrity of the new skyscraper.
- subsidence
- sinking
From settle + -ment.
- Nounresettlement
- Nounsettlement