From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Situation \Sit`u*a"tion\, n. [LL. situatio: cf. F. situation.]
1. Manner in which an object is placed; location, esp. as
related to something else; position; locality site; as, a
house in a pleasant situation.
[1913 Webster]
2. Position, as regards the conditions and circumstances of
the case.
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A situation of the greatest ease and tranquillity.
--Rogers.
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3. Relative position; circumstances; temporary state or
relation at a moment of action which excites interest, as
of persons in a dramatic scene.
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There's situation for you! there's an heroic group!
--Sheridan.
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4. Permanent position or employment; place; office; as, a
situation in a store; a situation under government.
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Syn: State; position; seat; site; station; post; place;
office; condition; case; plight. See State.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
situation
n 1: the general state of things; the combination of
circumstances at a given time; "the present international
situation is dangerous"; "wondered how such a state of
affairs had come about"; "eternal truths will be neither
true nor eternal unless they have fresh meaning for every
new social situation"- Franklin D.Roosevelt [syn:
situation, state of affairs]
2: a condition or position in which you find yourself; "the
unpleasant situation (or position) of having to choose
between two evils"; "found herself in a very fortunate
situation" [syn: situation, position]
3: a complex or critical or unusual difficulty; "the dangerous
situation developed suddenly"; "that's quite a situation";
"no human situation is simple"
4: physical position in relation to the surroundings; "the sites
are determined by highly specific sequences of nucleotides"
[syn: site, situation]
5: a job in an organization; "he occupied a post in the
treasury" [syn: position, post, berth, office,
spot, billet, place, situation]