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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
verbpositioned; positioning\ pə-ˈzi-sh(ə-)niŋ \
\Definition of position (Entry 2 of 2)
: to put in a certain position
positioned the chairs around the room positioned the company in the global market
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Synonyms for position
Synonyms: Noun
- appointment,
- berth,
- billet,
- capacity,
- connection,
- function,
- job,
- place,
- post,
- situation
Synonyms: Verb
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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Officers held him in this position for approximately 12 minutes, Magnus said.
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Bree Burkitt, The Arizona Republic, "Tucson in-custody death of Carlos Adrian Ingram Lopez: What we know," 25 June 2020 In late May, the company's CEO, Rico Back, was suddenly removed from his position after less than two years on the job.
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Katherine Dunn, Fortune, "The U.K.’s 500-year-old Royal Mail faces a world of ‘more parcels and fewer letters’ as it announces major cost cuts," 25 June 2020 This position can help prevent hemorrhoids and anal fissures by reducing straining and help completely empty the bowels.
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Daniel Oberhaus, Wired, "Why NASA Designed a New $23 Million Space Toilet," 22 June 2020 Republican candidate Adrienne Southworth made headlines last year when she was abruptly fired by the administration of former Gov. Matt Bevin from her position with Lt. Gov. Jenean Hampton.
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Joe Sonka, The Courier-Journal, "4 state Senate primaries (and one special election) to watch in Kentucky on Tuesday," 22 June 2020 However, a Justice Department official told the Washington Examiner that this is not why he was removed from his position.
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Jerry Dunleavy, Washington Examiner, "Fired SDNY prosecutor refused to sign letter warning Mayor Bill de Blasio about protest and religious 'double standard'," 22 June 2020 The man who led the Southern District of New York’s (SDNY) investigations into two of Trump’s personal lawyers, as well as other probes that had rankled the President, has been removed from his position against his will.
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Tessa Berenson, Time, "Geoffrey Berman's Investigations Into Trump Associates Raise Concerns Over His Firing," 22 June 2020 His statement came hours after Attorney General William Barr said Berman was stepping down from his position.
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Michael Balsamo, Anchorage Daily News, "Administration tries to oust US attorney investigating Trump allies, but he won’t go," 20 June 2020 His predecessor, Luiz Henrique, was fired from his position of health minister after also disagreeing with the president on how to handle the pandemic.
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Fox News, "Brazil's coronavirus cases top 1 million as the virus spreads," 20 June 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Filmmaker James Cameron’s return to New Zealand to begin production on his Avatar sequel sets the scene for the South Pacific nation to position itself as a Covid-free haven in a world still struggling to contain the pandemic.
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Tracy Withers / Bloomberg, Time, "New Zealand Grants James Cameron Exemption to Travel Ban So He Can Begin Filming Avatar Sequel," 24 June 2020 The goal is to be able to track Covid-19 in the university's population, and better position the university community for a return to some in-person activities.
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Stephanie Elam, CNN, "UC San Diego is planning to test its students, faculty and staff regularly for Covid-19 in fall," 23 June 2020 These software capabilities, combined with Jio's vast telecom subscriber base and a network of physical retail outlets, may uniquely position Jio to dominate India's digital sphere—or so Jio's new investors would like to believe.
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Grady Mcgregor, Fortune, "11 deals for $15 billion in 10 weeks: Why India’s Jio Platforms is on an investment spree," 20 June 2020 Dangerous demagogues use reification to position opposition as less than human, thereby denying their standing to criticize or object.
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Jennifer Mercieca, The Conversation, "A field guide to Trump’s dangerous rhetoric," 19 June 2020 Now, her die-hard supporters are channeling that organizing energy to position her for the next best thing: the Democratic vice presidential nomination.
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Emily Larsen, Washington Examiner, "Fabled super-organizer Elizabeth Warren and allies shift efforts to subtle vice presidential bid," 18 June 2020 An appropriate and quality desk chair can help better position your body at your desk and make sitting easier on your back.
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Hanna Horvath, NBC News, "How to buy the best ergonomic office chair, according to experts," 18 June 2020 That sent the Mavericks into the suspension with one of their best wins of the year and helped position them to gain traction in the West this summer.
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Allie Morris, Dallas News, "NBA restart central: A full return-to-play schedule, the latest developments and Mavericks notes to remember," 14 June 2020 Instead, during a year when baseball on the field was taken away, the Wolverines have managed to stay relevant and position themselves for an even brighter future.
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Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan baseball can thank College World Series run for heralded status in draft," 13 June 2020
See MoreThese 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.
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More Definitions for position
position
nounEnglish 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
verbEnglish 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
nounpo·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
verbpositioned; 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
nounpo·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
Other Words from position
positional \ pə-ˈzish-ᵊn-əl \ adjective
\ adjectiveposition
transitive verbMedical Definition of position (Entry 2 of 2)
: to put in proper position
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Time Traveler for position
The first known use of position was in the 14th century
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