position

1 of 2

noun

po·​si·​tion pə-ˈzi-shən How to pronounce position (audio)
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

position

2 of 2

verb

positioned; positioning pə-ˈzi-sh(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce position (audio)

transitive verb

: to put in a certain position
positioned the chairs around the room
positioned the company in the global market

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
According to multiple sources, the Panthers are expected to address the center position at some point during the offseason. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2024 Weisselberg was also permanently barred from serving in a financial position at any New York company. Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 5 Mar. 2024 The chef spent 10 years in the position at the Whitney before leaving his post to open Cuisine. Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 Remarkably, the town of Carbondale in southern Illinois holds a unique position, as it was situated directly in the path of totality for the 2017 eclipse and will be again for the 2024 eclipse. George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 The penalty reinforces the European Union’s position as the world’s most aggressive regulator of the tech sector. Adam Satariano, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Several teams have outperformed their projection finish by six positions in recent years, including Oregon State in 2020-21. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 Job openings for diversity officers and similar positions have declined in recent months. Terry Tang, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 Detroit did it on offense, led by quarterback Jared Goff and a trio of young stars at the skill positions: Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
The promotion to president and COO (a position that did not exist previously) positions Ahuja as a likely successor to Vinciquerra, though a source noted that the SPE CEO is not expected to leave his post anytime soon. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Moreover, Manieri positions Lucia’s life as a counternarrative to Rocco’s. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 Politics Schiff and Garvey lead in Senate race, well positioned for runoff, poll shows March 1, 2024 In the primary races to nominate candidates for president, for example, both the Democratic and Republican parties have pretty much decided on winners. Erika D. Smith, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Gillis’ comedy is similarly unusual at a moment when so many stand-ups—on the right, the left, and in a smug center occupied by guys like Bill Maher and Ricky Gervais—position themselves as righteous truth tellers. TIME, 23 Feb. 2024 These steps positioned Indiana a national leader in addressing the dangers of PFAS. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024 United’s collapse in performance has coincided with one of the biggest talent acquisitions sprees in its history, and untangling that profligacy has left the club poorly positioned to meet the league’s spending limits. Tariq Panja, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 By strategically aligning your story with trending topics—both inside and outside of your industry—the PR team can amplify your brand and position your experts as thought leaders, driving conversations. Heather Kelly, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Twelve jurors and four alternates appeared riveted Thursday by the scenes captured by LeFleur’s lapel camera video, which played on monitors positioned throughout the courtroom — despite several technical glitches that at times interrupted the video. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 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.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English posycion, from Anglo-French posicioun, from Latin position-, positio, from ponere to lay down, put, place, from Old Latin *posinere, from po- away (akin to Old Church Slavonic po-, perfective prefix, Greek apo away) + Latin sinere to leave — more at of

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of position was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near position

Cite this Entry

“Position.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/position. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

position

1 of 2 noun
po·​si·​tion pə-ˈzish-ən How to pronounce position (audio)
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
positional
-ˈzish-(ə-)nəl
adjective

position

2 of 2 verb
positioned; positioning -ˈzish-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce position (audio)
: to put in a certain position
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 How to pronounce position (audio)
: 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
positional adjective

position

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to put in proper position

More from Merriam-Webster on position

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