position

noun po·si·tion \ pə-ˈzi-shən \

|Updated on: 3 Aug 2018

Examples: position in a Sentence

Definition of position

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

See position defined for English-language learners

See position defined for kids

Examples of position in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of position from the Web

Przybylski, who won the event in 2013 and 2015, appears to be in good position to chase his record score of 136 set in 2015.

— steve millar, Naperville Sun, "Watch the birdies: Frankfort’s Glenn Przybylski takes first-round lead in Naperville Men’s City Championship," 14 July 2018
That is the compatibilist position from whence volition and culpability emerge.

— michael shermer, Scientific American, "Will Science Ever Solve the Mysteries of Consciousness, Free Will and God?," 13 July 2018
For some, the shooting solidified Flynt’s position as a free speech icon, as a martyr for the cause.

— Cincinnati Enquirer, "Read more from this Project," 13 July 2018
Mrs May’s oddly successful week puts her in a good position to start selling the Chequers compromise.

— The Economist, "What doesn’t kill her makes Theresa May stronger," 12 July 2018
Home sales gained momentum in Sienna Plantation, Bridgeland and Cross Creek Ranch in the first half of the year, earning them a position among the nation's 25 top-selling communities, a new report showed.

— katherine feser, Houston Chronicle, "11 suburban Houston communities among nation's top sellers," 12 July 2018
Not every person certified currently has a leadership position.

— gal tziperman lotan, The Aegis, "About 20 Harford firefighters lose rank by failing to meet deadline for certifications," 11 July 2018
The position technically operates out of AAA’s New Jersey call center, but individuals who complete the introductory program can then work virtually anywhere they please.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "AAA Club Alliance Is Hiring Work-From-Home Positions With Full Benefits," 11 July 2018
The endowment has funded 100 new faculty positions and a massive expansion in recent years.

— alex bhattacharji, Town & Country, "Can USC Survive Scandal and Shed Its Spoiled-Kid Reputation Once and For All?," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'position.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of position

Middle English posycion, from Anglo-French posicioun, from Latin position-, positio, from ponere to lay down, put, place, from Old Latin *posinere, from po- away (akin to Old Church Slavonic po-, perfective prefix, Greek apo away) + Latin sinere to leave — more at of

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

position Synonyms

Synonyms

appointment, berth, billet, capacity, connection, function, job, place, post, situation;

Near Antonyms

avocation;

joblessness, unemployment;

work;

office, spot;

calling, pursuit, trade, vocation;

line, racket;

engagement, gig;

livelihood, living;

career, lifework, practice (also practise);

duty, mission, posting, service, task;

position

verb

Definition of position

positioned; positioning play \pə-ˈzi-sh(ə-)niŋ\

transitive verb

: to put in a certain position

positioned the chairs around the room

positioned the company in the global market

See position defined for English-language learners

Examples of position in a Sentence

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 of position from the Web

The views of the prophet and his wife bent toward benevolence and rendered Jane infantilized, resulting in the offer of adoption and positioning her as their child in the eternities, as opposed to a plural wife, like so many white women.

— mica mcgriggs, Teen Vogue, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Celebrated the 40-Year Anniversary of the Lifted Ban Against Black Members," 11 July 2018
The Huskies have made the NCAA Tournament four times in the past seven years and are well-positioned to return.

— mike anthony, courant.com, "Mike Anthony: Jim Penders, UConn Baseball Thriving In 2018 Storm," 29 Apr. 2018
With many of its rivals under fire, Microsoft has aggressively tried to position itself as the moral compass of the industry.

— New York Times, "Microsoft Urges Congress to Regulate Use of Facial Recognition," 13 July 2018
Nixon, who is attempting to position herself to the left of incumbent Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has repeatedly used the phrase to describe the federal government agency that enforces immigration laws.

— alex pappas, Fox News, "White House: 'Deeply disturbing' for Cynthia Nixon to call ICE a 'terrorist organization'," 9 July 2018
Yet prospective buyers were skeptical about the eight-year-old startup’s attempt to position itself as an internet company, with a valuation to match.

— joanne chiu, WSJ, "Chinese Smartphone Maker Xiaomi Falls in Hong Kong Trading Debut," 9 July 2018
As many others do, Bifituu began attending the Learning Lab to better position her and her daughter for success.

— michael katz, idahostatesman, "A slain refugee was set to start preschool Monday. Despite tragedy, staffers carry hope.," 6 July 2018
Technology companies have tried to position themselves as platforms, rather than media publishers that are arbiters of truth.

— selina wang, latimes.com, "Twitter's new approach: Predict what you want to see, as it happens, and notify you," 13 June 2018
Technology companies have tried to position themselves as platforms, rather than media publishers that are arbiters of truth.

— Fortune, "Twitter Will Personalize News for Users in Comprehensive Product Update," 13 June 2018

First Known Use of position

1817

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

position Synonyms

POSITION Defined for English Language Learners

position

noun

Definition of position for English Language Learners

: the place where someone or something is in relation to other people or things
: the place where someone or something should be
: the way someone stands, sits, or lies down

position

verb

Definition of position for English Language Learners

: to put (something or someone) in a particular position

POSITION Defined for Kids

position

noun po·si·tion \ pə-ˈzi-shən \

Definition of position for Students

1 : the way in which something or someone is placed or arranged

The seat is in the upright position.

2 : a way of looking at or considering things

What's your position on the issue?

3 : the place where a person or thing is or should be

They took their positions on stage.

4 : the situation that someone or something is in

Your request puts me in an awkward position.

5 : the rank or role a person has in an organization or in society She rose to a position of leadership.

6 : job 1

Word Root of position

The Latin word ponere, meaning “to place” or “to put,” and its form positus give us the roots pon and pos. Words from the Latin ponere have something to do with putting. A position is the location or way in which something has been placed. To expose is to put out in the open. To postpone is to put off until a later time. Posture is the way a body has been placed.

position

verb

Definition of position for Students

positioned; positioning

: to put in a particular place or arrangement

He positioned the helmet on his head.

Medical Dictionary

position

noun po·si·tion \ pə-ˈzish-ən \

medical Definition of position

: a particular arrangement or location; specifically : an arrangement of the parts of the body considered particularly desirable for some medical or surgical procedure