The phrase "a desire to settle" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when expressing a wish or intention to establish oneself in a particular place or situation.
Example: "After years of traveling, she finally felt a desire to settle in one place and build a life."
Alternatives: "a wish to establish" or "an urge to reside".
In Beck's view, President Obama is driven by a desire to settle "old racial scores" and his ultimate goal is "reparations" for black Americans.
Ms. Stritch's move to Birmingham was motivated by fatigue with the heady bustle of New York ("I'm tired of the energy") and a desire to settle down where she had family close at hand.
This explicitly targeted former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is close to president Hassan Rouhani and many of the Iranian negotiating team, and rings with a desire to settle old, lingering scores.
Now in his 70's, the poet continues to explore the grieving that accompanies daily life, but his work here is infused with a desire to settle old debts and bequeath particular moments.
Ashcroft admits he has a grudge against Cameron for passing him over for a significant government job but insists the claims were not motivated by a desire to settle scores.
And it is interesting that Sophar and Heilprin found that librarians favored, two to one, the clearinghouse approach to the problem, even though many of those in favor "indicated a desire to settle an increasingly complex matter, rather than an enthusiastic approval of the idea". Sophar and Heilprin report, at p. v of the Summary.
This retreat signalled a strong desire to settle.
I had a deep desire to settle on one version of the story.
During a time when many desire to settle old scores, the political ties that once shielded Christians have become a major liability.
Xavier Justo was motivated by a mixture of morality and revenge – the desire to settle scores with a friend who betrayed him.
Although PMA did end up paying a portion, it asserted that the university's settlements were extremely high due to a concern about publicity and the desire to settle the matter as quickly as possible.
