set
A1Neutral (used across all registers, from formal to informal)
Definition
Meaning
To put or place something in a specific position or condition.
One of the most polysemous words in English, with numerous meanings as a verb (to establish, arrange, harden), noun (a collection, a scene in filming, a TV/radio receiver, a fixed routine), and adjective (fixed, predetermined, ready).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Core idea: to cause something to be in a specific, fixed, or ready state. Its vast number of meanings is due to its general sense of 'fixedness' and its ability to form phrasal verbs and idioms.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor. In sport, 'set' for a match unit (tennis) is universal. 'Set' as a noun for a TV/radio receiver is more common in older BrE ('television set'); AmE often uses 'TV' alone.
Connotations
In UK educational context, 'set' can refer to grouping students by ability; in AmE, 'track' is more common.
Frequency
Equally frequent and polysemous in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP set NP PP] (She set the vase on the table)[NP set NP ADJP] (The news set her free)[NP set NP V-ing] (His joke set everyone laughing)[NP set NP to-inf] (He set the team to work)[NP set ADJ] (The jelly has set)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “set in one's ways”
- “set the cat among the pigeons”
- “set the world on fire”
- “set foot in”
- “set the record straight”
- “set sail”
- “all set”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
To establish or fix (e.g., set a price, set a target, set up a company).
Academic
A defined group or collection (e.g., a data set); to establish a theory or parameter.
Everyday
To arrange or prepare (e.g., set the table, set an alarm); fixed or ready (e.g., 'Are you all set?').
Technical
In mathematics/computing: a well-defined collection of distinct objects. In construction: for concrete to harden.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Could you set the date for the meeting?
- The cement needs an hour to set properly.
- She set a new school record in the 100m.
American English
- Let's set a time to talk next week.
- The jelly didn't set because it was too warm.
- He set the standard for everyone else to follow.
adverb
British English
- This glue dries set in minutes. (rare, often as part of a compound adjective like 'quick-set')
American English
- (Similarly rare as a standalone adverb; used in technical contexts like 'concrete set fast'.)
adjective
British English
- We have a set menu on Sundays.
- He's very set in his opinions.
- Are we all set to leave?
American English
- The game has a set of fixed rules.
- Her daily routine is pretty set.
- Is everything set for the party?
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Please set the table for dinner.
- The sun sets in the west.
- I have a new set of coloured pencils.
- They set off on their journey early in the morning.
- Can you set the alarm for 7 AM?
- The rules are set and cannot be changed.
- The government has set stringent new emissions targets.
- The director skillfully set the scene for the dramatic finale.
- His attitudes were firmly set after years of experience.
- The court's decision could set a dangerous legal precedent.
- The novelist's work is set against the backdrop of the French Revolution.
- Once the reaction is initiated, a chain of events is set in motion.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine placing a SET of red plates on a TABLE that you've just SET. The action (verb) and the group (noun) are linked by the idea of putting things in a fixed place.
Conceptual Metaphor
ESTABLISHING IS SETTING (e.g., set a precedent); READINESS IS BEING SET (e.g., all set); FIXEDNESS IS BEING SET (e.g., set in stone).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate 'set the table' as 'ставить стол' – use 'накрывать на стол'.
- The adjective 'set' (e.g., set meal) is not 'установленный' but often 'комплексный' or 'фиксированный'.
- 'A set of tools' is 'набор инструментов', not 'сет инструментов'.
- The phrasal verb 'set off/out' means 'отправляться', not 'выключать'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: *'I set down the book on the table.' (Correct: 'I put down the book...' or 'I set the book on the table.')
- Confusing 'set' (transitive, needs object) with 'sit' (intransitive) – e.g., *'Set down over here.' (Correct: 'Sit down over here.')
- Overusing 'set' as a catch-all verb instead of more specific ones like 'schedule', 'establish', 'arrange'.
Practice
Quiz
In the sentence 'His jaw was set in determination', what does 'set' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Set' is almost always transitive (needs an object) and means to place something. 'Sit' is intransitive and means to be seated. Mistake: *'Set down.' Correct: 'Sit down.' or 'Set the book down.'
Yes, 'set' is irregular: the base form, past simple, and past participle are all 'set' (set-set-set).
It's a very old, basic verb from Old English with a core meaning of 'cause to sit/be fixed'. Over centuries, this simple idea extended metaphorically into many domains (time, rules, groups, hardening), creating vast polysemy.
Context is key. Look at the surrounding words (collocations) and the grammatical structure. 'Set the table' (arrange); 'set a date' (fix); 'set of keys' (group); 'the sun sets' (goes down); 'the glue sets' (hardens).
Collections
Part of a collection
Daily Verbs
A1 · 50 words · Essential action words used in everyday conversation.