To settle means to resolve something or make it final. When two students have an argument about who won the race, they might settle the dispute by reviewing a video of the finish line. When your parents settle on a restaurant for dinner, they've stopped debating and made their choice.

The word also means to sink down or come to rest. Dust settles on furniture when a room hasn't been cleaned. Snow settles on rooftops. After you shake up a snow globe, the glitter slowly settles to the bottom. When you settle into a comfortable chair, you're letting your body relax and adjust to it.

Settle can mean to establish a permanent home in a new place. When colonists settled in America, they built communities where none had existed before. When your family settles in a new town, you're making it your home: unpacking boxes, learning the neighborhood, and starting to feel like you belong.

You might hear adults talk about settling a bill (paying what's owed) or settling a lawsuit (agreeing to end a legal dispute). When something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, it can unsettle you. And when someone tells you to settle down, they're asking you to become calmer and quieter.