Seat vs. Sit — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 5, 2023
Seat is a place to sit or the act of guiding someone to sit. Sit is to rest on the buttocks or lower body.
Difference Between Seat and Sit
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Seat" can serve dual purposes, referring to an object on which one sits or the act of ushering someone to sit down. "Sit" specifically designates the action or state of being seated, emphasizing the physical act without necessarily indicating where it happens.
"Seat," by its noun form, indicates a static object or place, like a chair, where one can sit. On the other hand, "sit" as a verb indicates action and is utilized to express the act of resting in a seated position, irrespective of the object.
In certain contexts, "seat" also encompasses a broader range, potentially referring to a location or assigned place, as in political or organizational domains. Meanwhile, "sit" stays firmly rooted in its physical realm, relaying actions or statuses related to being seated.
Observably, "seat" carries a certain authority or directive quality when used as a verb, implicating the act of assigning or directing to a place of rest. In contrast, "sit" portrays a more neutral, self-initiated or passive action, lacking the directive nuance.
Linguistically, "seat" can transition between verb and noun, granting it a versatile use in various contexts, from describing objects to actions. Alternatively, "sit" remains a verb, consistently illustrating an action or state without wandering into object description.
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Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Can be a noun or a verb
Is a verb
Indicates
An object or act of placing someone to sit
The act of being in a seated position
Contextual Application
Can denote location or assigned place
Primarily describes physical act
Directive Quality
Can imply directive action (verb form)
Does not imply direction
Associated Authority
Can imply authority or assignment (e.g., political seat)
Has no authoritative connotation
Compare with Definitions
Seat
A piece of furniture to sit on.
The chair provided a comfortable seat.
Sit
To be in a specified state or condition.
The house will sit empty until it is sold.
Seat
The act of directing someone to sit.
The usher found them a seat in the front row.
Sit
To pose for a portrait or photograph.
The model will sit for the artist tomorrow.
Seat
A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense.
Sit
To be situated in a specific location.
The restaurant sits at the corner of the street.
Seat
A thing made or used for sitting on, such as a chair or stool.
Sit
To rest with the torso vertical and the body supported on the buttocks.
Seat
A person's buttocks.
Sit
To rest with the hindquarters lowered onto a supporting surface. Used of animals.
Seat
A place in an elected legislative or other body
He lost his seat in the 1997 election
Sit
To perch. Used of birds.
Seat
A principal site or location
Parliament House was the seat of the Scots Parliament until the Union with England
Sit
To cover eggs for hatching; brood.
Seat
A part of a machine that supports or guides another part
If the valve seat is damaged, it can be recut using a special tool
Sit
To be situated or located
A house that sits on a hill.
Seat
Arrange for (someone) to sit somewhere
Owen seated his guests in the draughty baronial hall
Sit
To lie or rest
Dishes were sitting on a shelf. See Usage Note at set1.
Seat
Fit in position
Upper boulders were simply seated in the interstices below
Sit
To pose for an artist or photographer.
Seat
Something, such as a chair or bench, that may be sat on
There are comfortable seats in the waiting room.
Sit
To occupy a seat as a member of a body of officials
Sit in Congress.
Seat
The part on which one rests in sitting
The seat of a chair.
A bicycle seat.
Sit
To be in session.
Seat
A place in which one may sit
Found a seat on the floor.
Sit
To remain inactive or unused
Her expensive skis sat gathering dust.
Seat
The right to occupy such a place or a ticket indicating this right
Got seats for the concert.
Sit
To affect one with or as if with a burden; weigh
Official duties sat heavily upon the governor.
Seat
The buttocks.
Sit
To fit, fall, or drape in a specified manner
The jacket sits perfectly on you.
Seat
The part of a garment that covers the buttocks.
Sit
To be agreeable to one; please
The idea didn't sit well with any of us.
Seat
A part serving as the base of something else.
Sit
Chiefly British To take an examination, as for a degree.
Seat
The surface or part on which another part sits or rests.
Sit
To blow from a particular direction. Used of the wind.
Seat
The place where something is located or based
The heart is the seat of the emotions.
Sit
To keep watch or take care of a child.
Seat
A center of authority; a capital
The county seat.
Sit
To cause to sit; seat
Sit yourself over there.
Seat
A place of abode or residence, especially a large house that is part of an estate
The squire's country seat.
Sit
To keep one's seat on (an animal)
She sits her horse well.
Seat
Membership in an organization, such as a legislative body or stock exchange, that is obtained by appointment, election, or purchase.
Sit
To sit on (eggs) for the purpose of hatching.
Seat
The manner of sitting on a horse
A rider with a good seat.
Sit
To provide seating accommodation for
A theater that sits 1,000 people.
Seat
To place in or on a seat.
Sit
The act of sitting.
Seat
To cause or assist to sit down
The ushers will seat the members of the bride's family.
Sit
A period of time spent sitting.
Seat
To provide with a particular seat
The usher seated me in the back row.
Sit
The way in which an article of clothing, such as a dress or jacket, fits.
Seat
To have or provide seats for
We can seat 300 in the auditorium.
Sit
To be in a position in which the upper body is upright and supported by the buttocks.
After a long day of walking, it was good just to sit and relax.
Seat
To install in a position of authority or eminence.
Sit
To move oneself into such a position.
I asked him to sit.
Seat
To fix firmly in place
Seat an ammunition clip in an automatic rifle.
Sit
To occupy a given position.
The temple has sat atop that hill for centuries.
Jim's pet parrot sat on his left shoulder.
Seat
To rest on or fit into another part
The O-rings had not seated correctly in their grooves.
Sit
To remain in a state of repose; to rest; to abide; to rest in any position or condition.
Seat
Something to be sat upon.
Sit
(government) To be a member of a deliberative body.
I currently sit on a standards committee.
Seat
A place in which to sit.
There are two hundred seats in this classroom.
Sit
Of a legislative or, especially, a judicial body such as a court, to be in session.
In what city is the circuit court sitting for this session.
Seat
The horizontal portion of a chair or other furniture designed for sitting.
He sat on the arm of the chair rather than the seat, which always annoyed his mother.
The seat of a saddle
Sit
To lie, rest, or bear; to press or weigh.
Seat
A piece of furniture made for sitting; e.g. a chair, stool or bench; any improvised place for sitting.
She pulled the seat from under the table to allow him to sit down.
Sit
To be adjusted; to fit.
Your new coat sits well.
Seat
The part of an object or individual (usually the buttocks) directly involved in sitting.
Instead of saying "sit down", she said "place your seat on this chair".
Sit
To be accepted or acceptable; to work.
How will this new contract sit with the workers?
I don’t think it will sit well.
The violence in these video games sits awkwardly with their stated aim of educating children.
Seat
The part of a piece of clothing (usually pants or trousers) covering the buttocks.
The seat of these trousers is almost worn through.
Sit
To cause to be seated or in a sitting posture; to furnish a seat to.
Sit him in front of the TV and he might watch for hours.
Seat
(engineering) A part or surface on which another part or surface rests.
The seat of the valve had become corroded.
Sit
(transitive) To accommodate in seats; to seat.
The dining room table sits eight comfortably.
Seat
A location or site.
Sit
To babysit.
I'm going to sit for them on Thursday.
I need to find someone to sit my kids on Friday evening for four hours.
Seat
(figurative) A membership in an organization, particularly a representative body.
Our neighbor has a seat at the stock exchange and in congress.
Sit
To take, to undergo or complete (an examination or test).
Seat
The location of a governing body.
Washington D.C. is the seat of the U.S. government.
Sit
To cover and warm eggs for hatching, as a fowl; to brood; to incubate.
Seat
(certain Commonwealth countries) An electoral district, especially for a national legislature.
Sit
To take a position for the purpose of having some artistic representation of oneself made, such as a picture or a bust.
I'm sitting for a painter this evening.
Seat
A temporary residence, such as a country home or a hunting lodge.
Sit
To have position, as at the point blown from; to hold a relative position; to have direction.
Seat
The place occupied by anything, or where any person, thing or quality is situated or resides; a site.
Sit
To keep one's seat when faced with (a blow, attack); to endure, to put up with.
Seat
One of a series of departmental placements given to a trainee solicitor as part of their training contract.
Sit
(mining) Subsidence of the roof of a coal mine.
Seat
(historical) Any of several autonomous regions in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary.
Sit
An event, usually lasting one full day or more, where the primary goal is to sit in meditation.
Seat
The starting point of a fire.
Sit
To rest upon the haunches, or the lower extremity of the trunk of the body; - said of human beings, and sometimes of other animals; as, to sit on a sofa, on a chair, or on the ground.
And he came and took the book put of the right hand of him that sate upon the seat.
I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at dinner.
Seat
Posture, or way of sitting, on horseback.
Sit
To perch; to rest with the feet drawn up, as birds do on a branch, pole, etc.
Seat
(transitive) To put an object into a place where it will rest; to fix; to set firm.
Be sure to seat the gasket properly before attaching the cover.
Sit
To remain in a state of repose; to rest; to abide; to rest in any position or condition.
And Moses said to . . . the children of Reuben, Shall your brothren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
Like a demigod here sit I in the sky.
Seat
(transitive) To provide with a place to sit.
This classroom seats two hundred students.
The waiter seated us and asked what we would like to drink.
Sit
To lie, rest, or bear; to press or weigh; - with on; as, a weight or burden sits lightly upon him.
The calamity sits heavy on us.
Seat
(transitive) To request or direct one or more persons to sit.
Please seat the audience after the anthem and then introduce the first speaker.
Sit
To be adjusted; to fit; as, a coat sts well or ill.
This new and gorgeous garment, majesty,Sits not so easy on me as you think.
Seat
To recognize the standing of a person or persons by providing them with one or more seats which would allow them to participate fully in a meeting or session.
Only half the delegates from the state were seated at the convention because the state held its primary too early.
You have to be a member to be seated at the meeting. Guests are welcome to sit in the visitors section.
Sit
To suit one well or ill, as an act; to become; to befit; - used impersonally.
Seat
(transitive) To assign the seats of.
To seat a church
Sit
To cover and warm eggs for hatching, as a fowl; to brood; to incubate.
As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not.
Seat
(transitive) To cause to occupy a post, site, or situation; to station; to establish; to fix; to settle.
Sit
To have position, as at the point blown from; to hold a relative position; to have direction.
Like a good miller that knows how to grind, which way soever the wind sits.
Sits the wind in that quarter?
Seat
To rest; to lie down.
Sit
To occupy a place or seat as a member of an official body; as, to sit in Congress.
Seat
To settle; to plant with inhabitants.
To seat a country
Sit
To hold a session; to be in session for official business; - said of legislative assemblies, courts, etc.; as, the court sits in January; the aldermen sit to-night.
Seat
(transitive) To put a seat or bottom in.
To seat a chair
Sit
To take a position for the purpose of having some artistic representation of one's self made, as a picture or a bust; as, to sit to a painter.
Seat
The place or thing upon which one sits; hence; anything made to be sat in or upon, as a chair, bench, stool, saddle, or the like.
And Jesus . . . overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves.
Sit
To sit upon; to keep one's seat upon; as, he sits a horse well.
Hardly the muse can sit the headstrong horse.
Seat
The place occupied by anything, or where any person or thing is situated, resides, or abides; a site; an abode, a station; a post; a situation.
Where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is.
He that builds a fair house upon an ill seat committeth himself to prison.
A seat of plenty, content, and tranquillity.
Sit
To cause to be seated or in a sitting posture; to furnish a seat to; - used reflexively.
They sat them down to weep.
Sit you down, father; rest you.
Seat
That part of a thing on which a person sits; as, the seat of a chair or saddle; the seat of a pair of pantaloons.
Sit
To suit (well or ill); to become.
Seat
A sitting; a right to sit; regular or appropriate place of sitting; as, a seat in a church; a seat for the season in the opera house.
Sit
Be standing; be upright;
We had to stand for the entire performance!
Seat
Posture, or way of sitting, on horseback.
She had so good a seat and hand she might be trusted with any mount.
Sit
Sit around, often unused;
The object sat in the corner
Seat
A part or surface on which another part or surface rests; as, a valve seat.
Sit
Take a seat
Seat
To place on a seat; to cause to sit down; as, to seat one's self.
The guests were no sooner seated but they entered into a warm debate.
Sit
Be in session;
When does the court of law sit?
Seat
To cause to occupy a post, site, situation, or the like; to station; to establish; to fix; to settle.
Thus high . . . is King Richard seated.
They had seated themselves in New Guiana.
Sit
Assume a posture as for artistic purposes;
We don't know the woman who posed for Leonardo so often
Seat
To assign a seat to, or the seats of; to give a sitting to; as, to seat a church, or persons in a church.
Sit
Sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions;
She never sat a horse!
Did you ever ride a camel?
The girl liked to drive the young mare
Seat
To fix; to set firm.
From their foundations, loosening to and fro,They plucked the seated hills.
Sit
Work or act as a baby-sitter;
I cannot baby-sit tonight; I have too much homework to do
Seat
To settle; to plant with inhabitants; as to seat a country.
Sit
Show to a seat; assign a seat for;
The host seated me next to Mrs. Smith
Seat
To put a seat or bottom in; as, to seat a chair.
Sit
To rest with the body supported by the buttocks.
She decided to sit on the bench.
Seat
To rest; to lie down.
Sit
To occupy an official position.
He currently sits on the board of directors.
Seat
A space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane);
He booked their seats in advance
He sat in someone else's place
Seat
The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on;
He deserves a good kick in the butt
Are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?
Seat
Furniture that is designed for sitting on;
There were not enough seats for all the guests
Seat
Any support where you can sit (especially the part of a chair or bench etc. on which you sit);
He dusted off the seat before sitting down
Seat
A center of authority (as a city from which authority is exercised)
Seat
The cloth covering for the buttocks;
The seat of his pants was worn through
Seat
Show to a seat; assign a seat for;
The host seated me next to Mrs. Smith
Seat
Be able to seat;
The theater seats 2,000
Seat
Place ceremoniously or formally in an office or position;
There was a ceremony to induct the president of the Academy
Seat
Put a seat on a chair
Seat
Provide with seats;
Seat a concert hall
Seat
A place of belonging or position in an organization.
She won a seat in the senate.
Seat
A base or foundation for something.
The ancient building was the seat of the empire.
Seat
A part meant to bear or support weight.
Ensure that the bracket seat is securely mounted.
Common Curiosities
Can "seat" refer to an abstract place or position?
Yes, "seat" can indicate an abstract or assigned place, such as a political seat.
Can "seat" refer to positions of power or authority?
Yes, for example, a “seat” in parliament.
Can "sit" imply a specific location?
No, "sit" describes the act of being seated but doesn’t specify where unless stated.
Can "seat" imply a directive action?
Yes, when used as a verb, "seat" can imply the act of assigning or placing someone.
Is "sit" used to describe non-physical situations?
Rarely, "sit" is mostly used to describe a physical state or action of being seated.
Can "seat" be both a verb and a noun?
Yes, "seat" can refer to something one sits on (noun) or the act of placing someone (verb).
Does "sit" have varying forms in different tenses?
Yes, such as "sat" (past) and "sitting" (progressive).
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
