position

noun

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po·si·tion | \ pə-ˈzi-shən

Definition of position

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

3a : 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

5a : 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

position

verb

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

Definition of position (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to put in a certain position positioned the chairs around the room positioned the company in the global market

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About position

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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: Noun Running back Rachaad White might be the conference’s best at his position. — oregonlive, 21 July 2021 Democrats got high-profile backup from Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, McCarthy’s former No. 3, whom Pelosi appointed to the committee after Cheney was ousted from her leadership position this spring for criticizing Trump. — BostonGlobe.com, 21 July 2021 The Hurricanes are coming off an 8-3 season during Manny Diaz’s second year as head coach and return quarterback D’Eriq King, one of the nation’s top playmakers at his position. — Edgar Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 21 July 2021 Schumer, the Republicans say, is well-aware of their position that waiting until next week to hold a vote would heighten the chances of success. — Trish Turner And Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 21 July 2021 The remaining drivers will race for their position in two heat races before the main event on Saturday. — Alicia Fabbre, chicagotribune.com, 21 July 2021 In the conversation, Nichols praised Taylor but also questioned her position at the network because of its not so flattering record with diversity hires. — Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 21 July 2021 But his position strengthened in recent months as lawmakers of both parties and economists have lauded his record and as a thorny economic backdrop has raised the risks of a leadership reshuffle at the central bank. — Nick Timiraos, WSJ, 21 July 2021 Blakely is charged with four counts of stealing from his campaign account, two counts of theft from the county law enforcement fund and five counts of using his position for personal gain. — Ashley Remkus | Aremkus@al.com, al, 20 July 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb On the heels of the legal scrum between Apple and Epic Games over app store policies, Microsoft is keen to position itself as the good guy and encourage devs onto its platform. — Boone Ashworth, Wired, 23 June 2021 Bore screwholes in the lattice panel side strips, position a panel on one of the posts and secure with screws [12]. — Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 15 May 2021 Blog posts become attributed to that individual, who can then leverage that portfolio of content, experience and opinions to open up new doors, position themselves as an authority and build relationships with others. — James Parsons, Forbes, 28 Apr. 2021 Now just position your mattress on your new bed frame and make your bed. — Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 22 Apr. 2021 Then, lock the portafilter into the machine, position your demitasse glass or other vessel underneath, and start your shot. — Cassidy Olsen, Good Housekeeping, 1 Apr. 2021 In their unstinting and graphic depiction of the singer’s drug addiction and harrowing early life, however, Daniels and Parks endeavor to position her as a survivor and pioneering civil rights activist, not a victim. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2021 Landing a job in a new administration can both position the losing candidates for future campaigns and provide the incoming president with important relationships on Capitol Hill. — Thomas Beaumont, Star Tribune, 3 Dec. 2020 Johnson, a graduate transfer from Georgia Tech, ran three times on the drive — for 17, 10 and 24 yards — to position SDSU in the red zone before the drive stalled and the Aztecs settled for a field goal. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Nov. 2020

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.

History and Etymology for position

Noun

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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Last Updated

23 Jul 2021

Cite this Entry

“Position.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/position. Accessed 24 Jul. 2021.

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More Definitions for position

position

noun

English Language Learners Definition of position

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

English Language Learners Definition of position (Entry 2 of 2)

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

See the full definition for position in the English Language Learners Dictionary

position

noun

po·si·tion | \ pə-ˈzi-shən

Kids Definition of position

(Entry 1 of 2)

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 sense 1

position

verb

positioned; positioning

Kids Definition of position (Entry 2 of 2)

: to put in a particular place or arrangement He positioned the helmet on his head.

position

noun

po·si·tion | \ pə-ˈzish-ən

Medical Definition of position

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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