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position

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noun [countable] American English pronunciation: position /pəˈzɪʃ(ə)n/ 
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singularposition
pluralpositions
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  1. 1
    the way that someone's body is placed

    I dragged myself into a sitting position.

    First, get yourself into a comfortable position.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of position
    1. a.
      the way that an object is placed

      The engine is mounted in the upright position.

      Raise the lever to the up position to get the water to flow.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of position
    2. b.
      a way of placing your body in ballet or yoga
      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of position
    3. c.
      a way that two people place their bodies when they are having sex
      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of position
  2. 2
    used for talking about how much money a person or organization has

    What is your current financial position?

    strengthen/improve/consolidate someone's position (=make someone's financial situation better):

    An injection of capital strengthened the company's position.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of position
    1. a.
      a situation that a particular person is in

      I wouldn't brag about that if I were in your position.

      Someone in their position can't afford to take that kind of risk.

      be in a position to do something:

      I'm not in a position to say who my sources are.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of position
    2. b.
      a general situation

      The position is that we only accept new club members once a year.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of position
  3. 3
    where something is in relation to other things

    Place the plant in a bright sunny position.

    position of:

    Here is a chart showing the positions of the planets.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of position
    1. a.
      in team sports, the part of the field where a particular player plays

      "What position do you play?" "Second Base."

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of position
  4. 4
    an opinion about an important issue
    position on:

    No one was sure of his position on any issue.

    take a position:

    Do you expect the administration to take a position one way or another on this legislation?

    take the position that:

    The agency takes the position that the government's specifications were deficient.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of position
  5. 5
    a job in a company

    There are 12 women in management positions within the company.

    I'm sorry, the position has already been filled (=someone has already been chosen to do the job).

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of position
  6. 6
    someone's rank or status in an organization or in society
    a position of authority/responsibility/power:

    Such behavior was clearly not acceptable for someone in a position of authority.

    abuse your position (=try to get an unfair advantage from your position):

    He had seriously abused his position as a doctor by releasing patients' personal details.

    position within:

    Stone's position within the party was strengthened after her speech at last year's convention.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of position

phrases

derived word

positional

adjective

There are two positional switches to the team.

This is the American English definition of position. View British English definition of position.

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