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Meaning & use

be seated

phrase·Everydayformal

Last updated

UK/biː ˈsiːtɪd/
US/biː ˈsiːtɪd/

Meaning

  1. phrasefixed phraseformal

    Sit down, or be in a sitting position, especially as a polite instruction.

    Grammar: Used mostly in the passive form with 'be'; it is not followed by an object, so say 'Please be seated', not 'Please be seated yourself'.

    Patterns

    • please be seated
    • be seated for something

    Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated; the show will begin shortly.

    Guests were asked to be seated by seven o'clock.

    Please remain seated until the plane stops completely.

Common combinations

please be seated
Please be seated and turn off your phones.
remain seated
Passengers should remain seated during takeoff.
be seated at a table
We were seated at a table near the window.
be comfortably seated
Make sure everyone is comfortably seated before you begin.

Synonyms and how they differ

sit down
Sit down is the normal, neutral way to say this and fits everyday speech; 'be seated' sounds more formal and polite.
take a seat
Take a seat is a friendly invitation to one person, while 'be seated' is often used to address a whole group.

Opposites

stand upremain standing

Word family

seat noun
A place where you sit, such as a chair.
seat verb
To place someone in a seat, as in 'The usher seated us.'

Commonly confused: be seated or seated?

be seated vs seated

'Seated' on its own is an adjective describing a position, as in 'the seated guests'; 'be seated' is the full instruction to sit down.

Practice

At the ceremony, the announcer said, "Please ___ seated."

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