position

play

noun po·si·tion \ pə-ˈzi-shən \

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

Two-quarterback formats dramatically change the draft values of positions.

— greg smith, SI.com, "Advice and Strategy for Two-Quarterback and Superflex Leagues," 31 Aug. 2017
Senior WR/CB Tyler Allen has been a four-year starter, and brings speed to the position.

— steve smith, Courant Community, "Rams Looking Forward To NCCC Play," 30 Aug. 2017
Carolina’s top position battle this preseason has gotten a little more high-stakes.

— jourdan rodrigue and joseph person, charlotteobserver, "Sources: With depth available, Panthers gauging trade interest in 2 ahead of cuts," 30 Aug. 2017
Boris wants to preserve the closeness of their little family, which puts Marie in the position of carrying out a charade with her own children.

— j.r. jones, Chicago Reader, "Marriage is too close for comfort in After Love and I Do . . . Until I Don’t," 30 Aug. 2017
Aranda is 1-1 against the Cougars, losing to them 6-3 in 2012 as Utah State's D-coordinator but then accepting the same position in 2013 with Wisconsin where Aranda and the Badgers won 27-17.

— ron higgins, NOLA.com, "LSU football countdown Day 3: This isn't Dave Aranda's first BYU rodeo," 30 Aug. 2017
At times in preseason camp, the secondary has looked like the most talented position group on the field (outside of running backs).

— matthew defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "FAU breakdown: players to watch, keys to season, crucial games," 29 Aug. 2017
Luxenburg, 45, recognizes that Gorden, 71, has led the city for 23 years and that Horwitz, 64, has served on council for six years (and the Beachwood School Board from 1990-2005), and have had more experience in city positions.

— jeff piorkowski/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Beachwood School Board President Luxenburg joins Gorden, Horwitz in race for mayor," 29 Aug. 2017
Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter to the County Board Office outlining their qualifications and explaining their interest in the position.

— Aurora Beacon-News, "Concert series to start at Aurora outlet mall," 25 Aug. 2017

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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position Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

business, employ, employment, occupation, profession; work; office, spot; calling, pursuit, trade, vocation; line, racket; engagement, gig; livelihood, living; career, lifework, practice (also practise); duty, mission, posting, service, task

Near Antonyms

avocation; joblessness, unemployment

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

Rhinehart isn’t just positioning Soylent as a low-cost caloric solution for people too busy to eat solid food.

— andrew rosenblum, Los Angeles Magazine, "Soylent, Its 75 Employees, and Its Helipad, Are Landing in the Arts District," 17 Aug. 2017
The Reds have tried to position themselves as a nice night out.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: Fans should give Reds one more year," 15 Aug. 2017
The Trump team may be trying to replay Bill Clinton’s triangulation of 1995-96, when Clinton won re-election by positioning himself as a moderate centrist between the extremes of the congressional Republicans and congressional Democrats.

— david frum, The Atlantic, "Time for Republicans to Leap From the Boat," 13 Aug. 2017
All nine candidates in the Republican field have pushed to position themselves as Trump stalwarts, and for good reason.

— john sharp, AL.com, "Alabama Senate race on Tuesday draws national attention but what will we learn from it?," 13 Aug. 2017
And Trump can't see through the flattery to notice that his vice president is quietly positioning himself for a political coup.

— jill filipovic, Cosmopolitan, "Mike Pence Is Using Donald Trump," 8 Aug. 2017
Nationally, Kennedy was positioned at 35 out of 23,000 middle school/junior high schools.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Naperville D203, Indian Prairie D204 ranked among best in state," 7 Aug. 2017
Her cabinet is engaged in open warfare as rivals position themselves to replace her.

— The Economist, "Britain faces up to Brexit," 22 July 2017
Then there's the health risk of positioning a battery-powered phone near your lady flower.

— allison underhill, Health.com, "Yes, You Can Use Your Phone as a Vibrator—But Should You?," 6 July 2017

First Known Use of position

1817

position Synonyms

Synonyms

depose, deposit, dispose, emplace, fix, lay, place, put, set, set up, situate, stick

Related Words

move, rearrange, reorder, shift; orient; establish, locate, plant, settle; clap, flop, plank, plop, plump, plunk (or plonk), plunk down, slap; ensconce, niche; assemble, collect; carry; berth, park; affix, anchor, lock, lodge, wedge; array, lay out, line up, queue, rank; set down

Near Antonyms

relocate, remove, take; banish; dislodge, displace, replace, supersede, supplant

POSITION Defined for English Language Learners

position

play

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

play

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

play

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

knee-chest position

the prone position

—

positional

play \pə-ˈzish-ᵊn-əl\ adjective

position

transitive verb

medical Definition of position

:to put in proper position

Learn More about position

See words that rhyme with position Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for position Spanish Central: Translation of position Nglish: Translation of position for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of position for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about position

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position

Definition of position

Examples of position in a Sentence

Recent Examples of position from the Web

First Known Use of position

position Synonyms

Synonyms

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POSITION Defined for English Language Learners

position

Definition of position for English Language Learners

position

Definition of position for English Language Learners

POSITION Defined for Kids

position

Definition of position for Students

Word Root of position

position

Definition of position for Students

Medical Dictionary

position

medical Definition of position

positional

position

medical Definition of position

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