From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpositionpo‧si‧tion1 /pəˈzɪʃən/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 1 way of standing/sitting etc [countable]MOVE/CHANGE POSITION the way someone is standing, sitting, or lying Lie in a comfortable position. Frankie shifted his position so that his knees would not become cramped.sitting/kneeling/standing position I struggled up into a sitting position.2 situation [countable usually singular]SITUATION the situation that someone is in, especially when this affects what they can and cannot do I’m not sure what I would do if I were in your position.be in a position to do something Next week we will be in a much better position to comment.be in the position of doing something She is in the enviable position of having three job offers. You’re putting me in rather a difficult position.3 place where somebody/something is [countable]PLACE the place where someone or something is, especially in relation to other objects and placesposition of the position of the sun in the sky Our hotel was in a superb central position near St Mark’s Square. the strategic position (=useful or important position) of Egypt in relation to the Arabian peninsula4 PLACEcorrect place [countable, uncountable] the place where someone or something is needed or supposed to beinto position He pulled the ladder into position.in/out of position All parking signs have now been placed in position.5 direction [countable] the direction in which an object is pointingvertical/upright/horizontal position Make sure the container remains in an upright position. She turned the switch to the ‘on’ position.► see thesaurus at place 6 opinion [countable]OPINION an opinion or judgment on a particular subject, especially the official opinion of a government, a political party, or someone in authority SYN attitudeposition on What’s the party’s position on tax reform? The principal took the position that the students didn’t need music classes. I hope you’ll reconsider your position.7 job [countable]JOB/WORK formal a jobsomebody’s position as something Bill took up his new position as Works Director in October.position of She has held the position of Chief Financial Officer since 1992. Bruce is thinking of applying for the position. I’m sorry, the position has been filled (=someone has been found to do the job).► see thesaurus at job8 level/rank [countable, uncountable]POSITION/RANK someone’s or something’s level, authority, or importance in a society or organizationthe position of somebody the position of women in societyposition of power/authority/influence etc Many of his supporters used their positions of power for personal advantage. As a priest, he was in a position of trust.abuse your position as something (=use your authority wrongly)9 → be in a position to do something10 → be in no position to do something11 race/competition [countable, uncountable]DSLOSE A GAME, COMPETITION, OR WAR the place of someone or something in a race or competition in relation to the other people or things(in) 2nd/3rd/4th etc position Alesi finished in third position.12 sports [countable]DS the area where someone plays in a sport, or the type of actions they are responsible for doing What position do you play? 13 → jockey/manoeuvre/jostle for position14 army [countable usually plural]PMA a place where an army has put soldiers, guns etc an attack on the enemy positionsCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: the way someone is standing, sitting, or lyingadjectivesa comfortable positionShe wriggled into a more comfortable position.an awkward positionMy foot was in an awkward position.a sitting/kneeling/standing positionThe priest rose from his kneeling position by the bed.a foetal position (=in which you are curled up like a baby before it is born)I crawled into my bed and curled up in a foetal position.verbschange/shift your positionHe shifted his position to get a better view of the stage.pull/drag/haul yourself into a positionShe pulled herself into a sitting position.assume/adopt a position formal (=move your body into a particular position)The patient should adopt this position for five minutes every half hour.hold a position (=stay in a position)Pull in your tummy muscles and hold that position. THESAURUS – Meaning 7: a jobdescribing someone’s position in an organizationsenior used about someone who has an important position in an organization. Senior can also be used about someone who has a higher position than you in an organizationa senior executiveShe’s a senior partner in a law firm.She is senior to me.chief [only before noun] used, especially in job titles, about someone who has the most important or one of the most important positions in an organizationCarole is the company’s chief financial officer.He’s the chief economist at Hangseng Bank.high-ranking [only before noun] used about someone who has a high position in an organization such as the government, the army, or the policehigh-ranking government officialsa high-ranking police officertop [only before noun] used about someone who is very good, important, or successful in their joba top lawyerHe’s one of the president’s top aides.top diplomatsjunior used about someone who has a low position in an organization. Junior can also be used about someone who has a lower position than you in an organizationa junior clerka junior doctorHis role as naval officer was junior to Nelson.assistant [only before noun] an assistant manager, director, editor etc has a position just below a manager etcHe’s an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard University.She became assistant director at the Belgrade Theatre. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: the situation that someone is in, especially when this affects what they can and cannot doadjectivesthe same positionA lot of people are in the same position.a similar positionYou can ask to be put in contact with others in a similar position.a strong/good position (=a situation in which you have an advantage)A victory tonight will put them in a very strong position to win the cup.a unique position (=a situation that no one else is in)Their close knowledge of the area places them in a unique position to advise on social policy.a difficult/awkward positionI was in the difficult position of having to choose between them.an enviable position (=a situation that other people would like to be in)He is in the enviable position of not needing to work.an impossible position (=a very difficult situation)She was furious with Guy for putting her in such an impossible position.a weak position (=a situation in which you have a disadvantage)Someone who is desperate to sell their house is in a weak position.a vulnerable position (=a situation in which you might be harmed)Today we are in the vulnerable position of producing barely half our own food.the present/current positionThe following statistics indicate the present position.the legal position (=the situation from a legal point of view)The legal position is far from clear.somebody’s financial positionHas your financial position changed recently?a bargaining/negotiating position (=someone’s ability to bargain/negotiate)The new law has strengthened workers' bargaining position.verbsbe in a strong/weak etc positionWe are in a good position to help.find yourself in a similar/awkward etc positionThe refugee organizations now found themselves in a difficult position.reach a positionIt has taken two years to reach the position we are now in.put/place somebody in a good/awkward etc positionI'm sorry if I put you in an awkward position.strengthen somebody’s position (=give someone a bigger advantage)People said that he used the conflict to strengthen his own position.weaken somebody’s position (=give someone a bigger disadvantage)The prime minister's position had been weakened by allegations of financial mismanagement.somebody’s position improvesBy March, the Democrats' position had improved.phrasesa position of strength (=a strong position)By now they were negotiating from a position of strength. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 6: an opinion or judgment on a particular subject, especially the official opinion of a government, a political party, or someone in authorityverbstake/hold a position (=have an opinion)We take the position that these changes are to be welcomed.adopt a position (=start having an opinion)In 1898, the Church adopted its current position.change your positionSince then, the party has changed its position.reconsider your position (=think again about it and perhaps change it)The UN Secretary General urged the US to reconsider its position.defend a positionEach of the next three speakers defended a different position.adjectivesan official position (=one that a government or organization says officially that it has)This was the French government’s official position.an extreme positionFew people hold this extreme position today.a middle position (=one that is between two extreme positions)They took a middle position, favouring decentralization but with some controls.a neutral position (=not supporting either side in an argument)The US claimed that Jordan had abandoned its neutral position and sided with Iraq. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 7: a jobverbshold a position (=have it)She had previously held a senior position in another school.apply for a positionI decided to apply for the position of head teacher.take up a position (=start doing a job)Woods took up a new position as managing director of a company in Belfast.leave a positionHe left his position as Chief Conductor of the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra.resign from a positionShe has resigned from her position as department secretary.offer somebody a positionThey offered me the position of store manager.fill a position (=find someone to do a job)We are now seeking to fill some key positions in the company.adjectivesa senior positionDecision making is done by managers holding the most senior positions.a junior positionI left school and was offered a junior position in a bank.a permanent/temporary positionIt's a temporary position initially, for six months.an official positionHe has no official position in the government. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 8: someone’s or something’s level, authority, or importance in a society or organizationphrasesa position of power/authorityMany used their positions of power for personal advantage.a position of influenceThe media have an unrivalled position of influence.a position of trustAs a church leader, he was in a position of trust.a position of responsibilityDid you hold any positions of responsibility at school or university?a position of leadershipShe had risen to a position of leadership.adjectivesa privileged positionThe public expects the Royal Family to earn its privileged position.an influential positionIt's useful if you have friends in influential positions.a powerful positionMany leaders from that period are still in powerful positions in government.a dominant positionThe firm achieved a dominant position in the world market.verbsoccupy a positionThose who occupy positions of power do not want democracy.maintain a position (=keep the rank that you have)High-status groups do all they can to maintain their positions.use your positionShe can now use her position to do some good.abuse your position (=use your level or rank wrongly)He abused his position as a doctor.
Examples from the Corpus
position• Pollock rose to the No. 2 position in the company, but found that the higher she rose, the less she liked her job.• I have an interview for a position at the university.• Jessica moved to a position where she could see the stage better.• Always look for the best person to fill any position, regardless of age, race, or gender.• Ed asked me to lie for him to help save his job, which put me in a very awkward position.• Make sure you are in a comfortable position before you start to drive.• Conspiracy theorists might guess that Brown has Polaroids of Wilson in a compromising position.• Bombs were dropped on the enemy position.• It's difficult to determine the exact position of the plane.• Mears has moved from fifth to fourth position.• In her position, I'm not sure what I'd do.• Her position in the company means that she is responsible for major financial decisions.• The enemy, aware of the strength of his position, simply sat still and waited for us.• Inflections, positions, and signpost words are the mainstay of syntax.• If Cadbury buys Orangina, as appears likely, its position will be further enhanced.• Government forces destroyed military positions and captured enemy soldiers.• Then there's new positions I've been reading about, yaar.• No longer will some have power over others: positions of authority and the obedience they command will disappear.• He eventually became Lord Chancellor, the most powerful position in the British legal system.• The company has a strong position in most international markets.• Few rich people can really appreciate the position of the single mother living on welfare.• She takes the position that all asylum seekers should be made welcome.• The position now depends on whether the period of exclusion which has been ordered is permanent, indefinite or fixed term.• It's important that the Socialists clarify their position before the conference.• In Phoenix, several employees have even recommended that their positions be eliminated.• Jonson is in third position after the first part of the competition.• "What position do you play?" "Second base."• I'm not sure what I'd do if I were in your position.sitting/kneeling/standing position• Anushkia Smyslov had bandaged Alex Bannen's head, and the physicist was propped in a sitting position against a workstation.• We are all propped-up in a sitting position, with pillows at back.• Huy forced himself into a sitting position by degrees and brought the empty jar of fig liquor into vision.• Derek was trying to pull Kitty into a sitting position, but she slumped to one side.• She pushed herself up into a sitting position.• He then stumbles back on to the shore and collapses to a sitting position.• Full leg braces brought the severely crippled to a standing position, but learning to use these devices required much practice.• Glover arranged his bed so that he could use the toilet from a near sitting position.in ... position• Numbers in brackets indicate positions in the Oct-11a cDNA sequence in Figure 1.• It may be found from testing that this is impossible to achieve due to the ambiguity in previous word positions.• Most readers, whatever their work, are in a position to take some action based on them.• And you need not have been a highly paid executive to be in that position.• Charles gloried in his position for the first few weeks.• My father ignored it, too, standing in the same position as before, head cocked.• In fact, it would be impossible for a ridge to stay in any one position permanently.• When we calculate the uncertainty in position, Ax, we use formulae for resolving power which are derived from wave optics. strategic position• Turku Castle was built in the thirteenth century in a strategic position on the harbour.• This is a historic town, its nucleus occupying an imposing and consequently strategic position on an eminence commanding the river Emme.• Towns had often to be sited in defensive, strategic positions not readily accessible to the railway.• As a result of the smooth progress of the first-phase operations, we have established an invincible strategic position.• The command unit was in its strategic position in the town square.• As lay-abbot of St-Martin Tours, Adalard occupied a key strategic position in the Loire valley.• Khotan also occupied a remarkably strategic position.• These strategic positions are not filled by just another group of salaried employees.in/out of position• A few shingles were loosened enough by the wind to move and then bond down out of position once it warmed up.• Then Toopi scored again as Lee Gilmour was drawn out of position.• In extreme cases they can drop out of position. with disastrous results.• Every few seconds, Jody hits the pause button, freezing a frame to show them how out of position they are.• Marquez Pope, the other starting corner, is really a safety playing out of position.• It is what allows us to compose momentum states out of position states, or position states out of momentum states.• Seaman, however, was out of position, and dived too late to do anything but get a hand to it.vertical/upright/horizontal position• The rear gunner was killed by that burst, as his gun swung up to a vertical position as he slumped down.• But he leapt through the staggering sharpness of it and achieved an upright position.• I eased into an upright position, ducking back out of sight until I heard him start the car and pull away.• She pushed a button, cranking the bed to a more upright position.• Wedges are used under the former to get the vertical position exactly right.• The sit-ups start with the back off the board, and end before the upper body reaches the vertical position.• Upon the lowering of his arm to the horizontal position in front of him, the squad would aim their weapons.• Additionally, when a horizontal-head centrifuge stops. the tubes fall from the horizontal to the vertical position. reconsider ... position• Given the current job losses in the country, will the Government reconsider their appalling position?• If such a situation arises a break to reconsider positions is valuable.• The forthcoming appeal against conviction of Lord Hardwicke will therefore provide an opportunity for the appellate courts to reconsider the position.• In view of the threat of expulsions contained in these circulars, Labour supporters of Unity had to reconsider their position.• I shall be happy to reconsider the position in Manchester and Eccles, although I know that it is being carefully considered.• Last night, a local official, John Kydd, said the union would have to reconsider its position fairly swiftly.• If the hon. Gentleman really believes that he has outlined a proper approach, I ask him to reconsider his position.held ... position• He has also held the position of factory manager.• This was the man who became President of the National Deaf Club in 1909 and held the position for over thirty years.• The Federals held the position nearer the coveted town.• He has held the position of Deputy Group Treasurer since 1985.• He has held the position on a part-time basis for the past few months.• Massy has held the position of marketing manager for 14 years.• He succeeds Brother Jeffrey Gros, who held the position for 10 years.abuse your position as something• During his trial much was made of the way he had abused his position as a doctor.• But what makes Courtney especially dangerous is not that he abused his position as a doctor. position ... play• If he remains in an off-side position or affects play while caught off-side, he must be penalised.• Now listed under positions played: All.positionposition2 ●○○ verb [transitive always + adverb/preposition] 1 PUTto carefully put something in a particular position Position the cursor before the letter you want to delete.position yourself I positioned myself where I could see the door.► see thesaurus at put2 → be well/ideally/perfectly positioned→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
position• Federal troops were positioned around the city.• Army units are to be positioned at all major installations including factories and power stations.• After their diagnostic procedure the colonoscope was positioned at site of infusion and a second blood sample collected.• Something lowered over him like glass, something seemed to be positioned between him and the world.• Nate positioned himself so he could keep an eye on the door.• He turned the chair around, positioning himself with his back to the window, and opened the book.• I dragged over a gooseneck lamp and positioned it to best advantage.• If you use a mirror in this way, be careful where you position it.• But B. J. Surhoff was positioned perfectly.• Make sure you position the wheel correctly before you tighten up the nuts.• The French generals had positioned thousands of troops along the border.• All the hotel's pleasant bedrooms are positioned to give a view of the lake.• A nice goof is to hide it altogether by positioning your pointer on its top edge and dragging down.position yourself• It seemed that these two had just positioned themselves.• We have successfully positioned ourselves as a Bank which wants its customers' savings.• On Brother and Toyota machines it positions itself automatically when left to hang freely between the yarn mast and knitting.• Marcus saw there was a strip of green tape stuck to the floor and he positioned himself behind it.• You had to drive leftish to position yourself far enough down the fairway to get a pitch into the green.• Now portfolio managers have to decide how to position themselves for 1996.• He liked melting into crowds, positioning himself in doorways, anticipating her route as she walked across campus.• He turned the chair around, positioning himself with his back to the window, and opened the book.From Longman Business Dictionarypositionpo‧si‧tion1 /pəˈzɪʃən/ noun [countable]1the situation that a person or organization is in, or the situation concerning a particular subjectThe company is in a strong financial position, with more than $7 million in cash and no short-term debt.The investment would weaken the company’s competitive position.The new legislation puts the unions in a difficult position.What’s the present position with regard to import restrictions? → see also bargaining position2be in a position to do something to be able to do something because you have the ability, money, or power to do itWe will refund your money when we are in a position to do so.3jockey/manoeuvre/jostle for position to try to get an advantage over other people who are all trying to succeed in the same activityUS advertising agencies are jostling for position in Eastern Europe.4the level or rank someone or something has in society or in an organizationposition inHe was a doctor with a respectable position in society.We need more women in positions of authority and influence in television.Financial institutions are in a unique position of trust when handling funds belonging to the public.He did not want to be accused of abusing his position (=using his authority wrongly).5formalJOB a job, especially an important oneposition asShe is retiring from her position as chief executive.Twelve people applied for the position (=asked to have the job).He is filling a position (=taking a job) that has been vacant since July.He has been offered amanagement position in Cairo.He is older than most executives in their first senior position (=important job) abroad.6someone’s opinion or judgement on somethingposition onWhat’s your position on using freelance staff?7FINANCE an investment in something, or the amount investedThe family has a recent history of buying positions of over 5% in public companies.It said it will take a 10% equity position (=buy 10% of the shares) in the company.After we have earned a modest profit, we will simply cash our position out (=sell our investment). → long position → short positionpositionposition2 verb [transitive]1if you position yourself in a particular way, or if something positions you in that way, you are prepared for a situation that you want to happen or think is going to happenIt has been working to position itself as a seller of group health insurance to major corporations.The company’s restructuring has positioned it to compete more effectively.2MARKETING if a company positions a product in a particular way, it tries to get people to think about it in that way in relation to the company’s other products and to competing productsThe trend over the past decade has been to position pizza as a health food.We’re trying to position the product toward younger buyers. —positioned adjectiveThe company is well positioned in the marketplace.→ See Verb tableOrigin position1 (1300-1400) French Latin positio, from positus, past participle of ponere “to put” 