sit-in

1 of 2

noun

1
2
a
: an act of occupying seats in a racially segregated establishment in organized protest against discrimination
b
: an act of sitting in the seats or on the floor of an establishment as a means of organized protest

sit in

2 of 2

verb

sat in; sitting in; sits in

intransitive verb

1
: to take part in or be present at a session of music or discussion as a visitor
often used with on
invited to sit in on a rehearsal
2
: to participate in a sit-in

Examples of sit-in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The following Thursday, Mace doubled down on using the slur in another video, after trans activists including Raquel Willis and Chelsea Manning staged a bathroom sit-in protest and were arrested. Samantha Riedel, Them, 6 Dec. 2024 Driving the news: Former soldier and U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning was among the trans rights protesters who were arrested amid a sit-in at a bathroom in Cannon House Office Building near Johnson's office, according to multiple reports. Avery Lotz, Axios, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
Russian conscripts called up for military service sit in a bus before their departure for garrisons, in Bataysk in the Rostov region, Russia November 16, 2024. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2024 Players sat in their lockers and ran massage guns up and down their legs. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sit-in 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1936, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sit-in was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near sit-in

Cite this Entry

“Sit-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit-in. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

sit-in

noun
ˈsit-ˌin
: an act of sitting in seats or on the floor (as in a restaurant or office) as a means of organized protest

More from Merriam-Webster on sit-in

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!