An agreement made by the parties to end a dispute or lawsuit before (or during) the hearing or trial, without a formal adjudication (decision by the arbitrator, judge, jury, or other decisionmaker) of the merits of the dispute. The term “settlement” is also sometimes used to refer to the specific terms of the agreement (such as the amount of money to be paid).
In health insurance, payment to the policyholder for claims made against the insurance company.