position
noun
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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
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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
depose, deposit, dispose, emplace, fix, lay, place, put, set, set up, situate, stick
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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
Each team receives a two-page preview, breaking down every position on the team, projected starting lineups, the upcoming schedule, a year-by-year statistical breakdown and a look at the past five season’s worth of statistical records. — Matt Murschel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "A guide to top college football preview magazines," 13 July 2018 First-year coach James Thornton can sleep well at night and not fret about those two positions. — Blake Baumgartner, Naperville Sun, "Middle men: Nick Taylor and Nolan Clifford answer call but Neuqua Valley loses in eight innings," 13 July 2018 The sense here is that Haynes will win the position battle mentioned above. — Joseph Person, charlotteobserver, "Is a Panthers defensive line with 3 Pro Bowlers and Julius Peppers underappreciated?," 12 July 2018 O’Brien said he's become accustomed to a new position on a regular basis throughout his career. — Bob Narang, Lake County News-Sun, "Comeback kids: Marcus Maristela and Kevin O’Brien help Grayslake Central reach regional championship game," 13 July 2018 Media: Wochit Exxon's departure comes amid a corporate exodus by the likes of Ford Motor Co. and Expedia Group Inc. departed, largely in response to ALEC's positions on climate rules, renewable energy and other issues. — Kevin Crowley And Ari Natter, Houston Chronicle, "Exxon quits Koch-backed business group after climate change disagreement," 13 July 2018 That came after weeks of declining to take a position on the issue, including its eventual limitations on the deduction of state and local property taxes that is expected to affect many Illinois homeowners. — Rick Pearson, chicagotribune.com, "Vice President Pence to speak in Rosemont Friday, when Gov. Rauner will introduce him," 12 July 2018 Bice said Alvogen does not take a position on the death penalty itself but opposes the use of the drug in a way that is fundamentally contrary to its purpose — saving and improving lives. — Author: Ken Ritter, Michelle L. Price, Anchorage Daily News, "Execution blocked after company objects to use of its drug," 12 July 2018 At present, there’s little evidence that Democrats will enjoy a similar base mobilization benefit from taking an anti-majoritarian position on immigration enforcement. — Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Abolishing ICE Is About As Popular As Trump’s Immigration Agenda," 11 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
An alternative would be to redraw the pairings after the group stage, putting the winners in one pot and the runners-up in another, which would stamp out teams trying to position themselves into second place. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "How to stop World Cup teams from trying to lose in the group stage," 29 June 2018 News Apple has tried to position its News app as an alternative to algorithm-driven, personal data-harvesting alternatives like Facebook and Google News. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "macOS Mojave: A visual tour of Dark Mode and other major features," 26 June 2018 Krzanich spent the past five years fighting this decline all while trying to position Intel for the future. — Tom Warren, The Verge, "Intel now faces a fight for its future," 22 June 2018 Fagan was trying to position the Seals to become a major league team, but his hopes were dashed when the New York Giants moved to San Francisco. — Gary Kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, "In the depths of the Depression, SF had the best ballpark in the country," 12 May 2018 As candidates try to position themselves as the Trumpiest, who can out Trump, Trump? — Fox News, "Former Clinton adviser slams collusion investigation," 27 Apr. 2018 Yet, one of the most compelling takeaways from the press conference was business-facing, rather than consumer-facing: Spotify is trying to position itself as an advocate and growth driver not just for itself, but also for the entire music business. — Cherie Hu, Billboard, "Spotify Wants to Be 'The R&D Department for the Entire Music Industry' -- What Does That Actually Mean?," 26 Apr. 2018 During a news conference with French president Emmanuel Macron, Trump tried to position his lack of enthusiasm as a testament to the injustices facing Jackson. — Benjamin Hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Implies That Ronny Jackson Should Withdraw VA Nomination," 24 Apr. 2018 Respectfully, Kevin Johnson ceo The key-key is that Starbucks founder Howard Schultz probably deems himself a staunch liberal and has tried to position the company as such. — Angela Helm, The Root, "Starbucks CEO Apologizes, Says He Wants to Meet With the Black Men Arrested in Philly," 15 Apr. 2018These 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
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
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
noun
\
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
verbKids Definition of position (Entry 2 of 2)
: to put in a particular place or arrangement He positioned the helmet on his head.
position
noun
\
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
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adjective
position
transitive verbMedical Definition of position (Entry 2 of 2)
: to put in proper position
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Comments on position
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