Settlement
 

settlement
noun1.a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government; "the American colony in Paris"[syn: colony]2.a community of people smaller than a town[syn: village]3.a conclusive resolution of a matter and disposition of it4.the act of colonizing; the establishment of colonies; "the British colonization of America"[syn: colonization]5.something settled or resolved; the outcome of decision making; "they finally reached a settlement with the union"; "they never did achieve a final resolution of their differences"; "he needed to grieve before he could achieve a sense of closure"6.an area where a group of families live together7.termination of a business operation by using its assets to discharge its liabilities[syn: liquidation]