stance

noun

ˈstan(t)s 

1

chiefly Scotland

a

: station

b

: site

2

a

: a way of standing or being placed : posture

b

: intellectual or emotional attitude

took an antiwar stance

3

a

: the position of the feet of a golfer or batter preparatory to making a swing

b

: the position of both body and feet from which an athlete starts or operates

Synonyms of stance

• posture
• attitude

Examples of stance in a Sentence

a slightly aggressive stance

Recent Examples on the Web

Moments after the curtain dropped to reveal the massive statue modeled after Suzuki’s signature batting stance, the bat the Baseball Hall of Famer was holding snapped and tilted backward. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2026

The People’s Bank of China reaffirmed its cautious monetary easing stance in a quarterly meeting last month, after delivering only one 10-basis-point reduction in the policy interest rate in 2025. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026

Charlotte spokesperson Jack VanderToll said the latest discussion does not reverse the city’s previous stance on the issue. —Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2026

That’s an unusual stance for a company valued at around $380 billion and preparing for an IPO, according to Fortune’s Bea Nolan. —Jim Edwards, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English stance, staunce, from Middle French estance position, posture, stay, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *stantia, from Latin stant-, stans, present participle of stare to stand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing stance

• closed stance
• open stance

Rhymes for stance

• chance
• dance
• glance
• hance
• hanse
• lance
• manse
• prance
• trance
• advance
• askance
• enhance

Kids Definition

stance

noun

ˈstan(t)s 

1

: a way of standing or being placed : posture

a soldier with an erect stance

2

: a way of thinking or feeling

took an opposing stance on the issue