settle

What it means

1. To conclude or resolve (something):
   1. transitiveTo determine (something which was exposed to doubt or question); to resolve conclusively; to set or fix (a time, an order of succession, etc).

      His fears were settled

      3 more examples

      She hopes to settle any questions about the plans.

      The question of the succession to a throne needs to be settled.

      It is a Pamphlet, [...] It will ſettle the Wavering, confirm the Doubtful, inſtruct the Ignorant, inflame the Clamorous, though it never be once looked into.

      1714 February, [Jonathan Swift], The Publick Spirit of the Whigs: Set forth in Their Generous Encouragement of the Author of the Crisis: […], London: […] [John Barber] for John Morphew, […], →OCLC, page 4

      Synonyms: seal

   2. transitiveTo conclude, to cause (a dispute) to finish.

      to settle a quarrel

      Synonyms: dispose, dispose of

   3. transitiveIn particular, to terminate (a lawsuit), usually out of court, by agreement of all parties.

      Synonyms: dispose, dispose of

In a sentence

His fears were settled

Where it comes from

1. Old Englishsaht
2. Old Englishsahtlian
3. Middle Englishsahtlen
4. Old Englishsetl“seat”
5. Old Englishsetlan“to settle, seat, put to rest”
6. Middle Englishsetlen
7. Englishsettle

From a merger of two verbs: * Middle English setlen, from Old English setlan (“to settle, seat, put to rest”), from Old English setl (“seat”) (compare Dutch zetelen (“to be established, settle”)) and * Middle English sahtlen, seihtlen (“to reconcile, calm, subside”), from Old English sahtlian, ġesehtlian (“to reconcile”), from Old English saht, seht (“settlement, agreement, reconciliation, peace”) (see saught, -le). German siedeln (“to settle”) is related to the former of the two verbs, but is not an immediate cognate of either of them.