positional

adjective

po·​si·​tion·​al pə-ˈzi-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce positional (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or fixed by position
positional astronomy
2
: involving little movement
positional warfare
3
: dependent on position or environment or context
the front-articulated \k\ in \kē\ key and the back-articulated \k\ in \kül\ cool are positional variants
positionally adverb

Examples of positional in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To some, the positional requirement is the way to go and that the baseline should be starting line up multiplied by team size – essentially, the true definition of replacement. Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025 However, for a Braves team with plenty of roster questions heading into next season, Wisely's positional versatility could prove valuable. Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025 There is no positional adjustment in my ranking system - that #11 ranking is pretty rare for a shortstop, higher than Jeter ever got. Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 After making 35 appearances (16 starts) with Triple-A Omaha, the club wanted Bowlan to make a positional change. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for positional

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of positional was circa 1560

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Positional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/positional. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!