First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1position
noun po·si·tion \pə-ˈzi-shən\
: 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
Full Definition of POSITION
1
: an act of placing or arranging: 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
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Origin of POSITION
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 Slavic po-, perfective prefix, Greek apo away) + Latin sinere to leave — more at of
Related to POSITION
- Synonyms
- appointment, berth, billet, capacity, connection, function, place, job, post, situation
Rhymes with POSITION
addition, admission, ambition, attrition, audition, beautician, clinician, cognition, coition, commission, condition, contrition, demission, dentition, dismission, Domitian, edition, emission, ethician, fruition, ignition, Kittitian, lenition, logician, magician, Mauritian, monition, mortician, munition, musician, nutrition, omission, optician, partition, patrician, perdition, permission, petition, Phoenician, physician, Politian, punition, remission, rendition, sedition, submission, suspicion, tactician, technician, tradition, transition, transmission, tuition, volition
2position
verb
: to put (something or someone) in a particular position
po·si·tionedpo·si·tion·ing \pə-ˈzi-sh(ə-)niŋ\
Full Definition of POSITION
transitive verb
: to put in a certain position <positioned the chairs around the room> <positioned the company in the global market>
See position defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of POSITION
1817
Related to POSITION
Rhymes with POSITION
POSITION Defined for Kids
1position
noun po·si·tion \pə-ˈzi-shən\
Definition of POSITION for Kids
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 1
Word Root of POSITION
The Latin word ponere, meaning “to place” or “to put,” and its form positus give us the roots pon and pos. Words from the Latin ponere have something to do with putting. A position is the location or way in which something has been placed. To expose is to put out in the open. To postpone is to put off until a later time. Posture is the way a body has been placed.
2position
verb
po·si·tionedpo·si·tion·ing
Definition of POSITION for Kids
: to put in a particular place or arrangement <He positioned the helmet on his head.>
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