zitting

Zitting is a Dutch noun with several related senses tied to the verb zitten (to sit). In general, it denotes the act of sitting or a period during which a body sits to conduct business, often in a formal or institutional setting. The term is most common in legal, governmental, and organizational contexts.

In legal and governance usage, a zitting refers to a session or hearing of a court, council, or parliamentary body. It can describe a single meeting within a series of sessions, or the proceedings of that meeting. Phrases such as “de zitting begint” or “de volgende zitting” are typical in formal writing and reporting, and many official documents use zittingen to indicate scheduled gatherings.

A second, common sense of zitting relates to furniture. In this sense, zitting denotes the seat or seating surface of a chair, bench, or sofa—the part on which a person sits. This sense is used in upholstery and carpentry contexts, as in referring to a chair’s zitting or the cushioning on a couch.

Etymologically, zitting derives from the Dutch verb zitten (to sit) with the nominalizing suffix -ing. The word is closely connected to the generic English word sitting, though its Dutch usage is specialized toward formal sessions as well as physical seating.

Usage notes: zitting is a formal term and is widely used in legal and administrative language. In everyday speech, speakers may prefer synonyms such as vergadering (meeting) or sessie for non-legal contexts, while zitting remains common for court or council proceedings and for describing a chair’s seating surface.