a situation in which vs a situation where

'A situation in which' and 'a situation where' are both correct and commonplace in English. They can be used interchangeably to introduce a situation or context. The choice between 'in which' and 'where' is a matter of personal preference or style.

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Last updated: April 04, 2025 • 4922 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"a situation in which"

This phrase is used to introduce a situation or context. 'In which' is a formal way to connect the situation to the rest of the sentence.

Examples:

This is a situation in which we must act quickly.
Can you describe a situation in which you felt completely lost?
I can't think of a situation in which that would be appropriate.
She found herself in a situation in which she had to make a difficult decision.
It was a situation in which compromise was the only solution.

Show examples from the web [+]

Try to imagine a situation in which you are meeting a small number of people.
We wanted a situation in which information follows promptly after submission of a request.
The ultimate goal is a situation in which safety rules are laid down only at European level.
Take for instance a situation in which two companies each produce two products on two production lines operating only at half their capacities.
We now have a situation in which the entire Arab world is in danger of itself being pilloried in a racist way.
Europe can no longer accept a situation in which certain imported products do not satisfy environmental requirements.
In reality, we now have a situation in which development aid funds are being cut back.
We cannot allow a situation in which taxpayers are forced to subsidise criminal activity.
We are in a situation in which the Agenda 2000 reform has been adopted and international trade negotiations are drawing closer.
If this possibility were not to exist, this could lead to a situation in which people no longer dare take decisions.
I cannot conceive of a situation in which everyone but the consumer has rights in the internal market.
Ladies and gentlemen, imagine a situation in which a number of players are recruited to join a football team.
Unfortunately, we are now in a situation in which the EU has already legislated in this area.
Moreover, it would seem difficult to postulate a situation in which Article 308 could be used as a legal basis together with other articles of the Treaty.
This kind of reasoning is dangerous because it can easily lead to a situation in which no one does anything anywhere.
The step that has been taken should be applauded, although it was in a situation in which responsibilities had to be shared.
In the recent history of Bosnia, we saw a situation in which some of our soldiers were very often put in intolerable positions, not just militarily but morally as well.
Indeed, concerned persons will have to enforce their rights in a situation in which their personal data come from different authorities of two or more countries.
We must help bring about a situation in which no compulsion is felt to receive such consignments.
There too, I believe that the EBRD's efforts are especially important in a situation in which democracy is very shaky and needs support.

Alternatives:

a situation where
a situation that
a situation during which
a situation at which
a situation on which

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"a situation where"

This phrase is used to introduce a situation or context. 'Where' is more informal and is often preferred in spoken English.

Examples:

This is a situation where we need to make a decision.
Can you think of a situation where you would feel comfortable?
I don't know a situation where that would be acceptable.
She found herself in a situation where she had to take charge.
It was a situation where compromise was not an option.

Show examples from the web [+]

Bankruptcy refers to a situation where an insurer has a level of capital insufficient to cover its liabilities.
The model erroneously assumes a situation where the lining always operates as designed.
Never again will we accept a situation where misconduct or a bad administrator will be judged by his or her peers.
I just created a situation where everyone...
These antigens can be considered as "novel" antigens and simulate a situation where the target population for vaccination is immunologically naïve.
So we are still in a situation where military threats are empty words.
There's a situation where errors in statistics had really profound and really unfortunate consequences.
You've created a situation where our son has had to hire a lawyer.
And it wasn't a situation where I could reveal myself.
Maybe this is a situation where you need more than words.
I mean, she was clearly engineering a situation where we could talk.
We already have a situation where milk prices are dropping sharply.
We warned against a situation where the more powerful railway undertakings absorbed the weaker ones.
Here we are in a situation where we don't even have anything to protect ourselves.
Michael, I hope you're never in a situation where your survival depends on your ability to understand relationships.
I'd hate to see you in a situation where you call for backup and it doesn't show.
This can result in a lack of clarity as to where responsibility rests and even to a situation where no such monitoring exists.
You know, this is a situation where Santa doesn't need a little helper.
The purpose of the mid-term review reform is to promote competitiveness while securing the income of farmers in a situation where payments would no longer be coupled to production.
Quite simply, we cannot accept a situation where the Commission foists upon us any changes to the UK's government structures.

Alternatives:

a situation in which
a situation that
a situation during which
a situation at which
a situation on which

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a situation in which vs a situation where

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