po·si·tion
pə-ˈzi-shən 
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
positioned; positioning
pə-ˈzi-sh(ə-)niŋ
: to put in a certain position
positioned the chairs around the room
positioned the company in the global market
Synonyms
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
Dana Mattioli, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
Woodruff Carr has four degrees — including a Ph.D — and works as a neuroscientist
Dr. Woodruff Carr works as a research scientist at the Boston Children’s Hospital and got to her esteemed position through a great deal of hard work and extensive education.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024
Supervisor positions sought to coordinate city’s homeless, environmental, transportation and other services
Oceanside got its first look at its 2024-25 budget Wednesday, and there’s plenty of black ink.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
Peterson and Jackson, both 6-foot running backs weighing 228 and 200 pounds, respectively, add the size and physicality Riley has emphasized at all positions.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
Lap 35: Ty Gibbs runs right up behind Truex’s bumper, currently holding the fourth position.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2024
Additionally, the Ukrainian Navy has made surprising and significant gains against its Russian counterpart, pushing back the Black Sea Fleet from more valuable coastal positions.
—Peter Aitken, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024
And therefore defenses needed to be reestablished and Hamas needed to no longer to be in a position of power.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
Biden announced that Americans can now apply for some 2,000 positions under the program.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2024
After some negotiation, the cake was positioned in front of Lakshmi—which Minter disliked.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the victim and a partner were positioned in the trees to watch the visitors.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
Her passion for aerospace engineering, coupled with her outstanding academic record and involvement in extracurricular activities, positions her as a future leader in her field.
—Joe Mutascio, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Apr. 2024
After slipping her feet into the mitts, positioned so the thumbs are on the bottom of her feet like a heel, Garner begins to kick her legs like a Rockette.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
Participants are then guided to an outdoor area, usually positioned around a fire pit, to eat the psychedelic mushrooms in their raw form.
—Michaela Trimble, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2024
Alliance has positioned itself as a hub for autonomous trucking in recent years.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2024
With his experience and deep knowledge of all areas of our business, our sports team is optimally positioned for future success.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024
Noun
Paul Bernard had joined the corporate development team two years prior, after holding a similar position at Nokia and working at investment bank Goldman Sachs, and saw an opportunity for the company to leverage its access and dealmaking chops in a new way.
—Dana Mattioli, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
Woodruff Carr has four degrees — including a Ph.D — and works as a neuroscientist
Dr. Woodruff Carr works as a research scientist at the Boston Children’s Hospital and got to her esteemed position through a great deal of hard work and extensive education.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024
Supervisor positions sought to coordinate city’s homeless, environmental, transportation and other services
Oceanside got its first look at its 2024-25 budget Wednesday, and there’s plenty of black ink.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
Peterson and Jackson, both 6-foot running backs weighing 228 and 200 pounds, respectively, add the size and physicality Riley has emphasized at all positions.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
Lap 35: Ty Gibbs runs right up behind Truex’s bumper, currently holding the fourth position.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2024
Additionally, the Ukrainian Navy has made surprising and significant gains against its Russian counterpart, pushing back the Black Sea Fleet from more valuable coastal positions.
—Peter Aitken, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024
And therefore defenses needed to be reestablished and Hamas needed to no longer to be in a position of power.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
Biden announced that Americans can now apply for some 2,000 positions under the program.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
Verb
For now, at least, if its 2023 results are anything to go by, LVMH is positioned to succeed.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2024
After some negotiation, the cake was positioned in front of Lakshmi—which Minter disliked.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the victim and a partner were positioned in the trees to watch the visitors.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
Her passion for aerospace engineering, coupled with her outstanding academic record and involvement in extracurricular activities, positions her as a future leader in her field.
—Joe Mutascio, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Apr. 2024
After slipping her feet into the mitts, positioned so the thumbs are on the bottom of her feet like a heel, Garner begins to kick her legs like a Rockette.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
Participants are then guided to an outdoor area, usually positioned around a fire pit, to eat the psychedelic mushrooms in their raw form.
—Michaela Trimble, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2024
Alliance has positioned itself as a hub for autonomous trucking in recent years.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2024
With his experience and deep knowledge of all areas of our business, our sports team is optimally positioned for future success.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'position.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near position
Cite this Entry
“Position.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/position. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
position
1 of 2 noun
po·si·tion
pə-ˈzish-ən
1
a
: the manner in which something is placed or arranged
b
: a certain arrangement of the body
exercise while in a sitting position
2
: a stand taken on a question
3
: the point or area occupied by something
4
a
: one's rank in an organization or in society
b
positional
adjective
-ˈzish-(ə-)nəl
Etymology
Noun
Middle English posycion "position," from early French posicioun (same meaning), from Latin positio "position," from ponere "to put, place" — related to compound entry 1
Medical Definition
position
1 of 2 noun
po·si·tion
pə-ˈzish-ən
: 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
position
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to put in proper position
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