po·si·tion
pə-ˈzi-shən 
1
: an act of placing or arranging: such as
a
: the laying down of a proposition or thesis
b
: an arranging in order
2
: a point of view adopted and held to
made my position on the issue clear
3
a
: the point or area occupied by a physical object : location
took her position at the head of the line
b
: a certain arrangement of bodily parts
rose to a standing position
4
: a market commitment in securities or commodities
also
: the inventory of a market trader
5
a
: relative place, situation, or standing
is now in a position to make decisions on his own
b
: social or official rank or status
c
: an employment for which one has been hired : job
a position with a brokerage firm
d
: a situation that confers advantage or preference
positioned; positioning
pə-ˈzi-sh(ə-)niŋ
: to put in a certain position
positioned the chairs around the room
positioned the company in the global market
Synonyms
Examples of position in a Sentence
Noun
From this position, you can see all of New York City's skyline.
Actors, please assume your positions. The show is about to begin.
The child fell asleep in a sitting position.
I was in an uncomfortable position and had to move.
I was uncomfortable, so I shifted position.
Return your seat to an upright position for landing.
Verb
He positioned the chairs around the table.
The company is positioning itself to take advantage of a new market.
The shortstop was positioned well to make the play.
She positioned herself by the door.
Recent Examples on the Web
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
In response to the rise in youth violence in Indianapolis, the city has created a position dedicated to curbing youth violence.
—Sarah Nelson, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
On Tuesday, Kishida also sought to dispel doubts about the strength of the Japanese economy, which lost its position as the world’s third largest economy to Germany earlier this year.
—Junko Ogura, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
From his position in the South Vietnamese secret police, working closely with the CIA, the Captain—a communist sympathizer—spied on counter-revolutionary activities for the Viet Cong.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Israeli police begin to take their positions in front of the mosque and around the Dome of the Rock, in preparation for the arrival of dozens of nationalist and religious Israeli Jews.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024
The lack of recovery time after delivery played a part in her decision to pursue a less-intensive staff position.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2024
My vast collection of travel bags waxes and wanes on a regular basis, but there are a few extra-roomy styles that maintain their starting positions on my roster.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2024
In supporting Inclusive Access for pennies on the dollar – University of Arizona-level financial mismanagement? – colleges have once again taken a position that is in their own economic interest and counter to students.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Hilary Fung, NPR, 11 Apr. 2024
Knowing in advance would have permitted the Pentagon to heighten defenses for U.S. personnel and to position assets, including warships with missile defense systems on board, in a way that could help protect both Israel and U.S. troops from a potential Iranian response.
—Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Post-production delays pushed the film off a March 2024 release date to Jan. 31, 2025, a date that turned heads given that this does not position Oscar-winner Bong’s latest as an awards contender.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
By Lauren Leatherby The remaining troops inside Gaza are mostly guarding a buffer zone that Israel has created by destroying Palestinian buildings along the border, or are positioned along a narrow land corridor that splits northern Gaza, including Gaza City, from the rest of the territory.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Here, the crown is now positioned at 12 o’clock and the refined architecture of caliber DB2529 is visible in all its glory along with the end of the power reserve gauge and the age of the Moon by means of a retrograde silver-toned indicator that facilitates accurate updating of the lunar day.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
League’s head and hands were removed and positioned near his legs, according to court documents.
—Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 6 Apr. 2024
Still faint, it will be positioned near Jupiter during the eclipse.
—Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
The tests themselves look like plastic pregnancy tests, with long handles for gripping and positioning the test correctly in the urine stream.
—Sarah Bradley, Parents, 30 Mar. 2024
Noun
Edge rusher might be the team’s thinnest position after coach DeShaun Foster confirmed Tuesday that Choe Bryant-Strother had entered the transfer portal, becoming the latest edge rusher to depart.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
In response to the rise in youth violence in Indianapolis, the city has created a position dedicated to curbing youth violence.
—Sarah Nelson, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
On Tuesday, Kishida also sought to dispel doubts about the strength of the Japanese economy, which lost its position as the world’s third largest economy to Germany earlier this year.
—Junko Ogura, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
From his position in the South Vietnamese secret police, working closely with the CIA, the Captain—a communist sympathizer—spied on counter-revolutionary activities for the Viet Cong.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Israeli police begin to take their positions in front of the mosque and around the Dome of the Rock, in preparation for the arrival of dozens of nationalist and religious Israeli Jews.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024
The lack of recovery time after delivery played a part in her decision to pursue a less-intensive staff position.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2024
My vast collection of travel bags waxes and wanes on a regular basis, but there are a few extra-roomy styles that maintain their starting positions on my roster.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2024
In supporting Inclusive Access for pennies on the dollar – University of Arizona-level financial mismanagement? – colleges have once again taken a position that is in their own economic interest and counter to students.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Verb
By contrast, there were nearly 85,000 abortions in Florida in 2023, according to state data, just a few thousand fewer than Illinois, which has positioned itself as a haven for people seeking abortions in the post-Roe era.
—Hilary Fung, NPR, 11 Apr. 2024
Knowing in advance would have permitted the Pentagon to heighten defenses for U.S. personnel and to position assets, including warships with missile defense systems on board, in a way that could help protect both Israel and U.S. troops from a potential Iranian response.
—Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Post-production delays pushed the film off a March 2024 release date to Jan. 31, 2025, a date that turned heads given that this does not position Oscar-winner Bong’s latest as an awards contender.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
By Lauren Leatherby The remaining troops inside Gaza are mostly guarding a buffer zone that Israel has created by destroying Palestinian buildings along the border, or are positioned along a narrow land corridor that splits northern Gaza, including Gaza City, from the rest of the territory.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Here, the crown is now positioned at 12 o’clock and the refined architecture of caliber DB2529 is visible in all its glory along with the end of the power reserve gauge and the age of the Moon by means of a retrograde silver-toned indicator that facilitates accurate updating of the lunar day.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
League’s head and hands were removed and positioned near his legs, according to court documents.
—Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 6 Apr. 2024
Still faint, it will be positioned near Jupiter during the eclipse.
—Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
The tests themselves look like plastic pregnancy tests, with long handles for gripping and positioning the test correctly in the urine stream.
—Sarah Bradley, Parents, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'position.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near position
Cite this Entry
“Position.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/position. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
position
1 of 2 noun
po·si·tion
pə-ˈzish-ən
1
a
: the manner in which something is placed or arranged
b
: a certain arrangement of the body
exercise while in a sitting position
2
: a stand taken on a question
3
: the point or area occupied by something
4
a
: one's rank in an organization or in society
b
positional
adjective
-ˈzish-(ə-)nəl
Etymology
Noun
Middle English posycion "position," from early French posicioun (same meaning), from Latin positio "position," from ponere "to put, place" — related to compound entry 1
Medical Definition
position
1 of 2 noun
po·si·tion
pə-ˈzish-ən
: a particular arrangement or location
specifically
: an arrangement of the parts of the body considered particularly desirable for some medical or surgical procedure
knee-chest position
the prone position
position
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to put in proper position
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