set down

verb

set down; setting down; sets down

transitive verb

1

: to cause to sit down : seat

2

: to place at rest on a surface or on the ground

3

: to suspend (a jockey) from racing

4

: to cause or allow to get off a vehicle : deliver

5

: to land (an airplane) on the ground or water

6

a

: ordain, establish

b

: to put in writing

7

a

: regard, consider

set him down as a liar

b

: attribute

Synonyms

• seat
• sit

Examples of set down in a Sentence

set the toddler down in her seat

set down the names of those in attendance

Recent Examples on the Web

Once, my cruise ship roommate set down her purse on a chair next to her at a sidewalk cafe and didn’t even notice when a quick thief snagged it. —Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024

In a lengthy and eloquent letter, Laura set down her husband’s final hours. —Paul Lindholdt, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2024

Parenteau had to fend off the red-hot #10 Zoey Wang in the quarters to advance, while Buckner had to set down #11 Jorja Johnson to secure the same. —Todd Boss, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

Her books are full of people who have been dislodged from one place and set down in another. —James Marcus, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

set down

verb

1

: to cause to sit down : seat

2

: to place at rest on a surface or on the ground

3

: to land (an airplane) on the ground or water

4

: establish sense 2

the government set down laws

5

: to put in writing