List vs. Set — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 15, 2024
A list is an ordered collection of items that allows duplicate entries, while a set is an unordered collection that prohibits duplicates.
Difference Between List and Set
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A list in programming and data structure contexts maintains the order of elements as they were added, making it suitable for tasks where this sequence is significant. On the other hand, a set inherently does not store elements in any particular order and ignores any duplicate entries, making it ideal for ensuring uniqueness among the items it holds.
Lists are often used when the position of each element is crucial, such as in tasks that require indexing, sorting, or iterating through items in a specific sequence. Whereas, sets are beneficial for operations that need to check membership efficiently, exclude duplicates, or perform mathematical set operations like unions, intersections, and differences.
The internal implementation of lists usually allows for efficient access to elements based on their position, typically through indices. In contrast, sets are implemented in a way that allows for highly efficient checking of whether an item is present in the set, using mechanisms like hash tables.
When modifying collections, lists provide a variety of operations including inserting or removing items at specific positions, which can affect the performance due to the need to shift elements. Sets, however, are optimized for adding or removing items without concern for order, which can often be done more efficiently.
In terms of practical applications, lists are ideal for maintaining an ordered dataset such as a playlist or a series of events. Sets are used where the uniqueness of entries is paramount, such as in storing unique user IDs or managing collections of non-repeating elements.
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Comparison Chart
Order
Ordered collection
Unordered collection
Duplicates
Allows duplicates
Prohibits duplicates
Indexing
Supports indexing
Does not support indexing
Efficiency
Efficient for indexed access
Efficient for checking presence
Modification
Insertion/removal affects order
Insertion/removal does not affect order
Compare with Definitions
List
A sequence that can be modified.
He added more names to the guest list.
Set
An unordered collection of unique elements.
His set of skills includes Java, Python, and C++.
List
Can be indexed, with elements accessed by their position.
Access the first element of the list with list[0].
Set
Prohibits duplicate entries.
Adding the same element twice to a set changes nothing.
List
Supports multiple data operations like sorting and reversing.
She sorted the list alphabetically for easier reference.
Set
Does not support direct indexing.
You cannot access elements in a set by index.
List
A series of names, words, or other items written, printed, or imagined one after the other
A shopping list.
A guest list.
A list of things to do.
Set
Useful for membership testing and unique collections.
We used a set to collect all unique visitor IDs.
List
A considerable number; a long series
Recited a list of dates memorized.
Set
Supports set operations like union and intersection.
The union of two sets includes all elements from both.
List
A narrow strip, especially of wood.
Set
Put, lay, or stand (something) in a specified place or position
Catherine set a chair by the bed
Delaney set the mug of tea down
List
(Architecture) See listel.
Set
Put or bring into a specified state
The hostages were set free
The Home Secretary set in motion a review of the law
List
A border or selvage of cloth.
Set
Adjust (a clock or watch), typically to show the right time
Set your watch immediately to local time at your destination
To revert to an old style would be to try to set back the clock and deny the progress which had been made
List
A stripe or band of color.
Set
Harden into a solid or semi-solid state
Cook for a further thirty-five minutes until the filling has set
List
Often lists An arena for jousting tournaments or other contests.
Set
(of the sun, moon, or another celestial body) appear to move towards and below the earth's horizon as the earth rotates
The sun was setting and a warm red glow filled the sky
List
A place of combat.
Set
(of a tide or current) take or have a specified direction or course
A fair tide can be carried well past Land's End before the stream sets to the north
List
An area of controversy.
Set
Start (a fire)
The school had been broken into and the fire had been set
List
A ridge thrown up between two furrows by a lister in plowing.
Set
(of blossom or a tree) form into or produce (fruit)
Wait until first flowers have set fruit before planting out the peppers
List
(Obsolete) A boundary; a border.
Set
Sit
The rest of them people just set there goggle-eyed for a minute
List
An inclination to one side, as of a ship; a tilt.
Set
Group (pupils or students) in sets according to ability.
List
A desire or inclination.
Set
A group or collection of things that belong together or resemble one another or are usually found together
A spare set of clothes
A set of false teeth
A new cell with two sets of chromosomes
List
To make a list of; itemize
Listed his previous jobs.
Set
The way in which something is set, disposed, or positioned
The shape and set of the eyes
List
To enter in a list; register
Listed each item received.
Set
A radio or television receiver
A TV set
List
To put (oneself) in a specific category
Lists herself as an artist.
Set
A collection of scenery, stage furniture, and other articles used for a particular scene in a play or film.
List
(Archaic) To recruit.
Set
An arrangement of the hair when damp so that it dries in the required style
A shampoo and set
List
To have a stated list price
A radio that lists for ten dollars over the sale price.
Set
A cutting, young plant, or bulb used in the propagation of new plants.
List
(Archaic) To enlist in the armed forces.
Set
The last coat of plaster on a wall.
List
To cover, line, or edge with list.
Set
The amount of spacing in type controlling the distance between letters.
List
To cut a thin strip from the edge of.
Set
Variant spelling of sett
List
To furrow or plant (land) with a lister.
Set
Another term for plant (sense 4 of the noun)
List
To lean or cause to lean to the side
The damaged ship listed badly to starboard. Erosion first listed, then toppled the spruce tree.
Set
Fixed or arranged in advance
Try to feed the puppy at set times each day
List
To listen or listen to.
Set
Ready, prepared, or likely to do something
Water costs look set to increase
The first family was set for a quiet night of rest
Both are all set to get married
List
To be pleasing to; suit.
Set
To put in a specified position or arrangement; place
Set a book on a table.
Set the photo next to the flowers.
List
To be disposed; choose.
Set
To put into a specified state
Set the prisoner at liberty.
Set the house ablaze.
Set the machine in motion.
List
A strip of fabric, especially from the edge of a piece of cloth.
Set
To cause to begin an action
The noise set the dog to barking.
List
Material used for cloth selvage.
Set
To cause or assign (someone) to undertake an action or perform a service
The sergeant set the recruit to sweeping the barracks.
List
A register or roll of paper consisting of a compilation or enumeration of a set of possible items; the compilation or enumeration itself.
Set
To incite to hostile feeling or action
A dispute that set the neighbors against each other.
List
The barriers or palisades used to fence off a space for jousting or tilting tournaments.
Set
To position (oneself) so as to be ready to do something, such as start running a race.
List
The scene of a military contest; the ground or field of combat; an enclosed space that serves as a battlefield; the site of a pitched battle.
Set
To position or secure so as to be fixed or immobile
Set the fence post in cement.
List
A codified representation of a list used to store data or in processing; especially, in the Lisp programming language, a data structure consisting of a sequence of zero or more items.
Set
To put in a mounting; mount
Set an emerald in a pendant.
List
(architecture) A little square moulding; a fillet or listel.
Set
To apply jewels to; stud
The tiara was set with diamonds.
List
(carpentry) A narrow strip of wood, especially sapwood, cut from the edge of a board or plank.
Set
To cause (a hook) to become fixed in a fish's mouth.
List
(ropemaking) A piece of woollen cloth with which the yarns are grasped by a worker.
Set
To arrange for the consumption of a meal
Set the table.
Set a place at table.
List
(tin-plate manufacture) The first thin coating of tin; a wire-like rim of tin left on an edge of the plate after it is coated.
Set
To adjust (an instrument or device) to a specific point or calibration
Set the alarm for 7:00.
List
(obsolete) A stripe.
Set
To prepare (a trap) for catching prey.
List
(obsolete) A boundary or limit; a border.
Set
To adjust (a saw) by deflecting the teeth.
List
(archaic) Art; craft; cunning; skill.
Set
(Nautical)To spread open to the wind
Set the sails.
List
(obsolete) Desire, inclination.
Set
To arrange scenery on (a theater stage).
List
(architecture) A tilt to a building.
Set
To restore to a proper and normal state when dislocated or broken
Set a broken arm.
List
(nautical) A careening or tilting to one side, usually not intentionally or under a vessel's own power.
Set
To apply equipment, such as curlers and clips, to (hair) in order to style.
List
(transitive) To create or recite a list.
Set
To concentrate or direct (one's mind or attention, for example) on a purpose or goal.
List
(transitive) To place in listings.
Set
To direct or focus (one's desires or hopes, for example) on a certain thing.
List
(transitive) To sew together, as strips of cloth, so as to make a show of colours, or to form a border.
Set
(Sports)To pass (a volleyball), usually with the fingertips, in an arc close to the net so that a teammate can drive it over the net.
List
(transitive) To cover with list, or with strips of cloth; to put list on; to stripe as if with list.
To list a door
Set
To arrange (type) into words and sentences preparatory to printing; compose.
List
To plough and plant with a lister.
Set
To transpose (text, for example) into type.
List
To prepare (land) for a cotton crop by making alternating beds and alleys with a hoe.
Set
To compose (music) to fit a given text.
List
To cut away a narrow strip, as of sapwood, from the edge of.
To list a board
Set
To write (words) to fit a given melodic line.
List
To enclose (a field, etc.) for combat.
Set
To declare or demonstrate (a precedent or standard, for instance).
List
To engage a soldier, etc.; to enlist.
Set
To provide or establish as a model
A parent must set a good example for the children.
List
To engage in public service by enrolling one's name; to enlist.
Set
To establish as the highest level of performance
Set a swimming record.
List
To give a building of architectural or historical interest listed status; see also the adjective listed.
Set
To arrange or establish (a computer password, for example) to allow future action.
List
To listen.
Set
To prescribe as a time for
Set the meeting for Friday afternoon.
List
To listen to.
Set
To prescribe the unfolding of (a drama or narrative, for instance) in a specific place
A play that is set in Venice.
List
To be pleasing to.
Set
To value or regard something at the rate of
She sets a great deal by good nutrition.
List
To desire, like, or wish (to do something).
Set
To fix at a given amount
The judge set bail for the defendant at $50,000.
List
To cause (something) to tilt to one side.
The steady wind listed the ship
Set
To make as an estimate of worth
We set a high value on human life.
List
To tilt to one side.
The ship listed to port
Set
To cause to sit
Set yourself over by the fire.
List
A line inclosing or forming the extremity of a piece of ground, or field of combat; hence, in the plural (lists), the ground or field inclosed for a race or combat.
In measured lists to toss the weighty lance.
Set
To put (a hen) on eggs for the purpose of hatching them.
List
Inclination; desire.
Set
To point to the location of (game) by holding a fixed body position. Used of a hunting dog.
List
An inclination to one side; as, the ship has a list to starboard.
Set
(Botany)To produce, as after pollination
Set seed.
List
A strip forming the woven border or selvedge of cloth, particularly of broadcloth, and serving to strengthen it; hence, a strip of cloth; a fillet.
Set
To disappear below the horizon
The sun set at seven that evening.
List
A limit or boundary; a border.
The very list, the very utmost bound,Of all our fortunes.
Set
To diminish or decline; wane
When the glory of the empire set.
List
The lobe of the ear; the ear itself.
Set
To sit on eggs. Used of fowl.
List
A stripe.
Set
To become fixed; harden
Allowed the aspic to set.
List
A roll or catalogue, that is, row or line; a record of names; as, a list of names, books, articles; a list of ratable estate.
He was the ablest emperor of all the list.
Set
To become permanent. Used of dye.
List
A little square molding; a fillet; - called also listel.
Set
To become whole; knit. Used of a broken bone.
List
A narrow strip of wood, esp. sapwood, cut from the edge of a plank or board.
Set
To point to the location of game by holding a fixed body position. Used of a hunting dog.
List
A piece of woolen cloth with which the yarns are grasped by a workman.
Set
(Botany)To mature or develop, as after pollination.
List
The first thin coat of tin.
Set
(Nonstandard)To sit
"If Emmett drives, I could set up front" (Bobbie Ann Mason).
List
To inclose for combat; as, to list a field.
Set
To position oneself preparatory to an action, such as running a race.
List
To hearken; to attend; to listen.
Stand close, and list to him.
Set
Fixed or established by agreement
A set time for the launching.
List
To listen or hearken to.
Then weigh what loss your honor may sustain,If with too credent ear you list his songs.
Set
Established by convention
Followed set procedures for filing a grievance.
List
To desire or choose; to please.
The wind bloweth where it listeth.
Them that add to the Word of God what them listeth.
Let other men think of your devices as they list.
Set
Established deliberately; intentional
Our set purpose is to win the conflict.
List
To lean; to incline; as, the ship lists to port.
Set
Fixed and rigid
"His bearded face already has a set, hollow look" (Conor Cruise O'Brien).
List
To sew together, as strips of cloth, so as to make a show of colors, or form a border.
Set
Unwilling or very reluctant to change
He is set in his ways.
List
To cover with list, or with strips of cloth; to put list on; as, to list a door; to stripe as if with list.
The tree that stood white-listed through the gloom.
Set
Intent and determined
"He is dead set against rushing abroad to build a plant" (Fortune).
List
To enroll; to place or register in a list.
Listed among the upper serving men.
Set
Ready; prepared
We are set to leave early tomorrow morning.
List
To engage, as a soldier; to enlist.
I will list you for my soldier.
Set
The act or process of setting.
List
To cut away a narrow strip, as of sapwood, from the edge of; as, to list a board.
Set
The condition resulting from setting.
List
To engage in public service by enrolling one's name; to enlist.
Set
The manner in which something is positioned
The set of her cap.
List
To plow and plant with a lister.
Set
A permanent firming or hardening of a substance, as by cooling.
List
In cotton culture, to prepare, as land, for the crop by making alternating beds and alleys with the hoe.
Set
The deflection of the teeth of a saw.
List
A database containing an ordered array of items (names or topics)
Set
The carriage or bearing of a part of the body.
List
The property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical;
The tower had a pronounced tilt
The ship developed a list to starboard
He walked with a heavy inclination to the right
Set
A particular psychological state, usually that of anticipation or preparedness
"The mental set of an audience is crucial to his performance" (Psychology Today).
List
Give or make a list of; name individually; give the names of;
List the states west of the Mississippi
Set
A descent below the horizon.
List
Include in a list;
Am I listed in your register?
Set
The direction or course of wind or water.
List
Enumerate;
We must number the names of the great mathematicians
Set
A seedling, slip, or cutting that is ready for planting.
List
Cause to lean to the side;
Erosion listed the old tree
Set
The act of arranging hair by waving and curling it.
List
Tilt to one side;
The balloon heeled over
The wind made the vessel heel
The ship listed to starboard
Set
(Sports)The act of setting a volleyball for a teammate.
List
An ordered collection that can include duplicate elements.
The shopping list included eggs, milk, milk, and bread.
Set
In Texas hold'em, a hand in which a player has two cards of the same rank and another card of that rank is among the community cards.
List
Typically used when order is important.
The to-do list was arranged in order of priority.
Set
A group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
A chess set.
Set
A group of persons sharing a common interest
The high-school set.
Set
A group of books or periodicals published as a unit.
Set
A number of couples required for participation in a square dance.
Set
The movements constituting a square dance.
Set
The scenery constructed for a theatrical performance.
Set
The entire enclosure in which a movie is filmed; the sound stage.
Set
A session of music, typically dance music, played before an intermission.
Set
The music so played.
Set
The collective receiving apparatus assembled to operate a radio or television.
Set
(Mathematics) A collection of distinct elements having specific common properties
A set of positive integers.
Set
A group of games constituting one division or unit of a match, as in tennis.
Set
An offensive formation in football or basketball.
Set
Variant of Seth2.
Set
(transitive) To put (something) down, to rest.
Pick up
Set the tray there.
Set
(transitive) To attach or affix (something) to something else, or in or upon a certain place.
I have set my heart on running the marathon.
Set
(transitive) To put in a specified condition or state; to cause to be.
Set
(transitive) To start (a fire).
Set
To cause to stop or stick; to obstruct; to fasten to a spot.
To set a coach in the mud
Set
(transitive) To determine or settle.
To set the rent
Set
(transitive) To adjust.
Set
(transitive) To punch (a nail) into wood so that its head is below the surface.
Set
(transitive) To arrange with dishes and cutlery, to set the table.
Please set the table for our guests.
Set
(transitive) To introduce or describe.
I’ll tell you what happened, but first let me set the scene.
Set
(transitive) To locate (a play, etc.); to assign a backdrop to, geographically or temporally.
He says he will set his next film in France.
Her debut novel is set during the U.S. Civil War.
Set
(transitive) To compile, to make (a puzzle or challenge).
This crossword was set by Araucaria.
Set
(transitive) To prepare (a stage or film set).
Set
(transitive) To fit (someone) up in a situation.
Set
(transitive) To arrange (type).
It was a complex page, but he set it quickly.
Set
(transitive) To devise and assign (work) to.
The teacher set her students the task of drawing a foot.
Set
To direct (the ball) to a teammate for an attack.
Set
(intransitive) To solidify.
The glue sets in five minutes.
Set
(transitive) To render stiff or solid; especially, to convert into curd; to curdle.
To set milk for cheese
Set
(intransitive) Of a heavenly body, to disappear below the horizon of a planet, etc, as the latter rotates.
The moon sets at eight o'clock tonight.
Set
To defeat a contract.
Set
To begin to move; to go forth.
Set
To produce after pollination.
To set seed
Set
To be fixed for growth; to strike root; to begin to germinate or form.
Set
To sit be in a seated position.
He sets in that chair all day.
Set
To hunt game with the aid of a setter.
Set
Of a dog, to indicate the position of game.
The dog sets the bird.
Your dog sets well.
Set
To apply oneself; to undertake earnestly.
Set
(ambitransitive) To fit music to words.
Set
(ambitransitive) To place plants or shoots in the ground; to plant.
To set pear trees in an orchard
Set
To become fixed or rigid; to be fastened.
Set
To have a certain direction of motion; to flow; to move on; to tend.
The current sets to the north; the tide sets to the windward.
Set
To acknowledge a dancing partner by facing him or her and moving first to one side and then to the other, while she or he does the opposite.
Set to partners! was the next instruction from the caller.
Set
To place or fix in a setting.
To set a precious stone in a border of metal
To set glass in a sash
Set
To put in order in a particular manner; to prepare.
To set (that is, to hone) a razor
To set a saw
Set
To extend and bring into position; to spread.
To set the sails of a ship
Set
To give a pitch to, as a tune; to start by fixing the keynote.
Set
To reduce from a dislocated or fractured state.
To set a broken bone
Set
(masonry) To lower into place and fix solidly, as the blocks of cut stone in a structure.
Set
(obsolete) To wager in gambling; to risk.
Set
To adorn with something infixed or affixed; to stud; to variegate with objects placed here and there.
Set
(obsolete) To value; to rate; used with at.
Set
To establish as a rule; to furnish; to prescribe; to assign.
To set a good example
Set
(Scotland) To suit; to become.
It sets him ill.
Set
To divide a class group in a subject according to ability
Set
A punch for setting nails in wood.
Nail set
Set
A device for receiving broadcast radio waves (or, more recently, broadcast data); a radio or television.
Television set
Set
: a hole made and lived in by a badger.
Set
: pattern of threads and yarns.
Set
: piece of quarried stone.
Set
(horticulture) A small tuber or bulb used instead of seed, particularly onion sets and potato sets.
Set
The amount the teeth of a saw protrude to the side in order to create the kerf.
Set
(engineering) A permanent change of shape caused by excessive strain, as from compression, tension, bending, twisting, etc.
The set of a spring
Set
A bias of mind; an attitude or pattern of behaviour.
Set
(piledriving) A piece placed temporarily upon the head of a pile when the latter cannot otherwise be reached by the weight, or hammer.
Set
The width of the body of a type.
Set
A young oyster when first attached.
Set
Collectively, the crop of young oysters in any locality.
Set
A series or group of something. (Note the similar meaning in Etymology 4, Noun)
Set
(colloquial) The manner, state, or quality of setting or fitting; fit.
The set of a coat
Set
The pattern of a tartan, etc.
Set
The camber of a curved roofing tile.
Set
The full number of eggs set under a hen.
Set
That which is staked; a wager; hence, a gambling game.
Set
A young plant fit for setting out; a slip; shoot.
Set
A rudimentary fruit.
Set
The setting of the sun or other luminary; (by extension) the close of the day.
Set
General movement; direction; drift; tendency.
Set
A matching collection of similar things. (Note the similar meaning in Etymology 2, Noun.)
A set of tables
Set
A collection of various objects for a particular purpose.
A set of tools
Set
An object made up of several parts.
A set of steps
Set
(set theory) A collection of zero or more objects, possibly infinite in size, and disregarding any order or repetition of the objects which may be contained within it.
Set
Set theory.
Set
A group of people, usually meeting socially.
The country set
Set
The scenery for a film or play.
Set
The general locations and area where a movie’s, a film’s, or a video’s scenery is arranged to be filmed also including places for actors, assorted crew, director, producers which are typically not filmed.
Set
(dance) The initial or basic formation of dancers.
Set
(exercise) A group of repetitions of a single exercise performed one after the other without rest.
Set
(tennis) A complete series of games, forming part of a match.
Set
(volleyball) A complete series of points, forming part of a match.
Set
(volleyball) The act of directing the ball to a teammate for an attack.
Set
(music) A musical performance by a band, disc jockey, etc., consisting of several musical pieces.
Set
(music) A drum kit, a drum set.
He plays the set on Saturdays.
Set
A class group in a subject where pupils are divided by ability.
Set
Three of a kind, especially if two cards are in one's hand and the third is on the board. Compare three of a kind, especially with two cards on the board and one in one's hand.
Set
Fixed in position.
Set
Rigid, solidified.
Set
Ready, prepared.
On your marks, get set, go!;
On your marks, set, go!
Set
Intent, determined (to do something).
Set on getting to his destination
Set
Prearranged.
A t=a meal that is instituted by a [[restaurateur for a limited occasion
Set
Fixed in one’s opinion.
I’m set against the idea of smacking children to punish them.
Set
(of hair) Fixed in a certain style.
Set
To cause to sit; to make to assume a specified position or attitude; to give site or place to; to place; to put; to fix; as, to set a house on a stone foundation; to set a book on a shelf; to set a dish on a table; to set a chest or trunk on its bottom or on end.
I do set my bow in the cloud.
Set
Hence, to attach or affix (something) to something else, or in or upon a certain place.
Set your affection on things above.
The Lord set a mark upon Cain.
Set
To make to assume specified place, condition, or occupation; to put in a certain condition or state (described by the accompanying words); to cause to be.
The Lord thy God will set thee on high.
I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother.
Every incident sets him thinking.
Set
To fix firmly; to make fast, permanent, or stable; to render motionless; to give an unchanging place, form, or condition to.
Set
To cause to stop or stick; to obstruct; to fasten to a spot; hence, to occasion difficulty to; to embarrass; as, to set a coach in the mud.
They show how hard they are set in this particular.
Set
To put into a desired position or condition; to adjust; to regulate; to adapt.
Set
To fix beforehand; to determine; hence, to make unyielding or obstinate; to render stiff, unpliant, or rigid; as, to set one's countenance.
His eyes were set by reason of his age.
On these three objects his heart was set.
Make my heart as a millstone, set my face as a flint.
Set
To put in order in a particular manner; to prepare; as, to set (that is, to hone) a razor; to set a saw.
Tables for to sette, and beddes make.
Set
To stake at play; to wager; to risk.
I have set my life upon a cast,And I will stand the hazard of the die.
Set
To fix in the ground, as a post or a tree; to plant; as, to set pear trees in an orchard.
Set
To extend and bring into position; to spread; as, to set the sails of a ship.
Set
To fit with music; to adapt, as words to notes; to prepare for singing.
Set thy own songs, and sing them to thy lute.
Set
To fix, as a precious stone, in a border of metal; to place in a setting; hence, to place in or amid something which serves as a setting; as, to set glass in a sash.
And him too rich a jewel to be setIn vulgar metal for a vulgar use.
Set
To give a pitch to, as a tune; to start by fixing the keynote; as, to set a psalm.
Set
To determine; to appoint; to assign; to fix; as, to set a time for a meeting; to set a price on a horse.
Set
To render stiff or solid; especially, to convert into curd; to curdle; as, to set milk for cheese.
Set
To reduce from a dislocated or fractured state; to replace; as, to set a broken bone.
Set
To adorn with something infixed or affixed; to stud; to variegate with objects placed here and there.
High on their heads, with jewels richly set,Each lady wore a radiant coronet.
Pastoral dales thin set with modern farms.
Set
To make to agree with some standard; as, to set a watch or a clock.
Set
To value; to rate; - with at.
Be you contented, wearing now the garland,To have a son set your decrees at naught.
I do not set my life at a pin's fee.
Set
To lower into place and fix solidly, as the blocks of cut stone in a structure.
Set
To point out the seat or position of, as birds, or other game; - said of hunting dogs.
Set
To establish as a rule; to furnish; to prescribe; to assign; as, to set an example; to set lessons to be learned.
Set
To suit; to become; as, it sets him ill.
Set
To compose; to arrange in words, lines, etc.; as, to set type; to set a page.
Setting aside all other considerations, I will endeavor to know the truth, and yield to that.
Some rules were to be set down for the government of the army.
This law we may name eternal, being that order which God . . . hath set down with himself, for himself to do all things by.
The Venetian admiral had a fleet of sixty galleys, set forth by the Venetians.
If you please to assist and set me in, I will recollect myself.
They . . . set off the worst faces with the best airs.
An ugly woman, in rich habit set out with jewels, nothing can become.
The Venetians pretend they could set out, in case of great necessity, thirty men-of-war.
I could set out that best side of Luther.
I'll set up such a note as she shall hear.
Set
To pass below the horizon; to go down; to decline; to sink out of sight; to come to an end.
Ere the weary sun set in the west.
Thus this century sets with little mirth, and the next is likely to arise with more mourning.
Set
To fit music to words.
Set
To place plants or shoots in the ground; to plant.
Set
To be fixed for growth; to strike root; to begin to germinate or form; as, cuttings set well; the fruit has set well (i. e., not blasted in the blossom).
Set
To become fixed or rigid; to be fastened.
A gathering and serring of the spirits together to resist, maketh the teeth to set hard one against another.
Set
To congeal; to concrete; to solidify; - of cements, glues, gels, concrete, substances polymerizing into plastics, etc.
That fluid substance in a few minutes begins to set.
Set
To have a certain direction in motion; to flow; to move on; to tend; as, the current sets to the north; the tide sets to the windward.
Set
To begin to move; to go out or forth; to start; - now followed by out.
The king is set from London.
Set
To indicate the position of game; - said of a dog; as, the dog sets well; also, to hunt game by the aid of a setter.
Set
To apply one's self; to undertake earnestly; - now followed by out.
If he sets industriously and sincerely to perform the commands of Christ, he can have no ground of doubting but it shall prove successful to him.
Set
To fit or suit one; to sit; as, the coat sets well.
He that would seriously set upon the search of truth.
Cassio hath here been set on in the dark.
Those men who set up for mortality without regard to religion, are generally but virtuous in part.
Set
Fixed in position; immovable; rigid; as, a set line; a set countenance.
Set
Firm; unchanging; obstinate; as, set opinions or prejudices.
Set
Regular; uniform; formal; as, a set discourse; a set battle.
Set
Established; prescribed; as, set forms of prayer.
Set
Adjusted; arranged; formed; adapted.
Set
The act of setting, as of the sun or other heavenly body; descent; hence, the close; termination.
The weary sun hath made a golden set.
Set
That which is set, placed, or fixed.
We will in France, by God's grace, play a setShall strike his father's crown into the hazard.
That was but civil war, an equal set.
Set
Permanent change of figure in consequence of excessive strain, as from compression, tension, bending, twisting, etc.; as, the set of a spring.
Set
A number of things of the same kind, ordinarily used or classed together; a collection of articles which naturally complement each other, and usually go together; an assortment; a suit; as, a set of chairs, of china, of surgical or mathematical instruments, of books, etc.
Set
A kind of punch used for bending, indenting, or giving shape to, metal; as, a saw set.
Set
A number of persons associated by custom, office, common opinion, quality, or the like; a division; a group; a clique.
This falls into different divisions, or sets, of nations connected under particular religions.
Set
A piece placed temporarily upon the head of a pile when the latter cannot be reached by the weight, or hammer, except by means of such an intervening piece.
Set
Direction or course; as, the set of the wind, or of a current.
Set
A short steel spike used for driving the head of a nail below the surface. Called also nail set.
Set
In dancing, the number of persons necessary to execute a quadrille; also, the series of figures or movements executed.
Set
The deflection of a tooth, or of the teeth, of a saw, which causes the the saw to cut a kerf, or make an opening, wider than the blade.
Set
A young oyster when first attached.
Set
A series of as many games as may be necessary to enable one side to win six. If at the end of the tenth game the score is a tie, the set is usually called a deuce set, and decided by an application of the rules for playing off deuce in a game. See Deuce.
Set
That dimension of the body of a type called by printers the width.
Set
Any of various standards of measurement of the fineness of cloth; specif., the number of reeds in one inch and the number of threads in each reed. The exact meaning varies according to the location where it is used. Sometimes written sett.
Set
A stone, commonly of granite, shaped like a short brick and usually somewhat larger than one, used for street paving. Commonly written sett.
Set
Camber of a curved roofing tile.
Set
The manner, state, or quality of setting or fitting; fit; as, the set of a coat.
Set
Any collection or group of objects considered together.
Set
An evil beast-headed god with high square ears and a long snout; his was the brother and murderer of Osiris. Called also Seth
Set
A group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used;
A set of books
A set of golf clubs
A set of teeth
Set
(mathematics) an abstract collection of numbers or symbols;
The set of prime numbers is infinite
Set
Several exercises intended to be done in series;
He did four sets of the incline bench press
Set
Representation consisting of the scenery and other properties used to identify the location of a dramatic production;
The sets were meticulously authentic
Set
An unofficial association of people or groups;
The smart set goes there
They were an angry lot
Set
A relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way;
The set of his mind was obvious
Set
The act of putting something in position;
He gave a final set to his hat
Set
A unit of play in tennis or squash;
They played two sets of tennis after dinner
Set
The process of becoming hard or solid by cooling or drying or crystallization;
The hardening of concrete
He tested the set of the glue
Set
Evil beast-headed Egyptian god with high square ears and a long snout; brother and murderer of Osiris
Set
The descent of a heavenly body below the horizon;
Before the set of sun
Set
(psychology) a temporary readiness to respond in a particular way;
The subjects' set led them to solve problems the familiar way and to overlook the simpler solution
His instructions deliberately gave them the wrong set
Set
Any electronic equipment that receives or transmits radio or tv signals;
The early sets ran on storage batteries
Set
Put into a certain place or abstract location;
Put your things here
Set the tray down
Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children
Place emphasis on a certain point
Set
Fix conclusively or authoritatively;
Set the rules
Set
Decide upon or fix definitely;
Fix the variables
Specify the parameters
Set
Establish as the highest level or best performance;
Set a record
Set
Put into a certain state; cause to be in a certain state;
Set the house afire
Set
Fix in a border;
The goldsmith set the diamond
Set
Make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc;
Get the children ready for school!
Prepare for war
I was fixing to leave town after I paid the hotel bill
Set
Set to a certain position or cause to operate correctly;
Set clocks or instruments
Set
Locate;
The film is set in Africa
Set
Disappear beyond the horizon;
The sun sets early these days
Set
Adapt for performance in a different way;
Set this poem to music
Set
Put or set (seeds or seedlings) into the ground;
Let's plant flowers in the garden
Set
Apply or start;
Set fire to a building
Set
Become gelatinous;
The liquid jelled after we added the enzyme
Set
Put into a position that will restore a normal state;
Set a broken bone
Set
Insert (a nail or screw below the surface, as into a countersink)
Set
Give a fine, sharp edge to a knife or razor
Set
Urge a dog to attack someone
Set
Estimate;
We put the time of arrival at 8 P.M.
Set
Equip with sails, masts, etc.;
Rig a ship
Set
Get ready for a particular purpose or event;
Set up an experiment
Set the table
Lay out the tools for the surgery
Set
Alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard;
Adjust the clock, please
Correct the alignment of the front wheels
Set
Bear fruit;
The apple trees fructify
Set
Arrange attractively;
Dress my hair for the wedding
Set
(usually followed by `to' or `for') on the point of or strongly disposed;
In no fit state to continue
Fit to drop
Laughing fit to burst
She was fit to scream
Primed for a fight
We are set to go at any time
Set
Fixed and unmoving;
With eyes set in a fixed glassy stare
His bearded face already has a set hollow look
A face rigid with pain
Set
Situated in a particular spot or position;
Valuable centrally located urban land
Strategically placed artillery
A house set on a hilltop
Nicely situated on a quiet riverbank
Set
Set down according to a plan:
A carefully laid table with places set for four people
Stones laid in a pattern
Set
Being below the horizon;
The moon is set
Set
Determined or decided upon as by an authority;
Date and place are already determined
The dictated terms of surrender
The time set for the launching
Set
Converted to solid form (as concrete)
Common Curiosities
What is a set?
A set is an unordered collection of unique elements.
Are sets ordered?
No, sets do not maintain the order of elements.
Can lists contain duplicates?
Yes, lists can contain multiple instances of the same element.
What operations are efficient in a set?
Operations like checking for the presence of an element are efficient in sets.
What are some typical uses for sets?
Sets are commonly used where the uniqueness of items is crucial, such as in user authentication systems.
How can you modify a list?
Lists can be modified by adding or removing items, and the changes affect the order.
Why use a list instead of a set?
Use a list when the order of elements is important or duplicates are needed.
How do sets handle duplicates?
Sets automatically remove duplicates by storing only unique elements.
How can you modify a set?
Sets can be modified by adding or removing items, without affecting an order, since they are unordered.
What is a list?
A list is an ordered collection of elements where duplicates are allowed.
How do you access elements in a list?
Elements in a list can be accessed by their index.
Can you index elements in a set?
No, sets do not support indexing because they are unordered.
What data structure is good for rapid lookups?
Sets are typically better for rapid lookups to check if an item exists.
What are some typical uses for lists?
Lists are used for tasks like maintaining an ordered sequence of items, such as a playlist.
Which data structure supports various sorting operations?
Lists support various sorting operations due to their ordered nature.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
