Meaning of position In English

• 0 the place where something or someone is, often in relation to other things:

  • Well, I've found our position on the map if you want to see where we are.

  • You've moved the furniture around - the sofa is in a different position.

  • I didn't know you played hockey - what position do you play?

  • The troops took up their battle positions at the front line.

  • As soon as his officers were in position/had moved into position, the police commander walked up the path towards the house.

• 1 a situation:

  • My financial position is somewhat precarious at the moment.

  • When two of your best friends argue, it puts you in a very awkward position.

  • I'm not in a position to reveal any of the details of the project at present.

  • I'm sure they'd like to help her out financially, but they're not in a position to do so.

• 2 a rank or level in a company, competition, or society:

  • Whether or not you're given a car depends on your position in the company.

  • UK She finished the race in third position.

  • She applied for a position in the firm that I work for.

• 3 the way in which something is arranged:

  • Keep the bottles in an upright position.

  • Rotate it slowly from the horizontal into a vertical position.

  • This is not a very comfortable position.

  • I go to sleep on my back but I always wake up in a different position.

  • You might feel more comfortable in a sitting position.

• 4 an opinion:

  • What's the company's position on recycling?

  • He takes the position (= believes) that individuals have a responsibility to look after themselves.

• 5 to put something or someone in a particular place:

  • The army had been positioned to the north and east of the city.

  • When it came to seating people for dinner, I positioned myself as far away from him as possible.

• 6 the place where something or someone is, often in relation to other things:

  • [ C ] I’ve switched the positions of the sofa and the chair.

  • [ C ] He played the shortstop position when he started in baseball.

• 7 a rank or level in a company, competition, or society:

  • She’s devoted her life to improving the position of women in society.

  • He applied for the position of marketing manager.

• 8 a situation or condition:

  • a shaky financial position

  • She found herself in a difficult position and didn’t know what to say.

  • [ + to infinitive ] Do you think she’s in a position to help you?

• 9 a way of thinking about a particular matter; opinion:

  • Our position is that we’ve made a very fair offer to settle this dispute.

• 10 the way in which the body is arranged:

  • My knees get stiff when I sit in the same position for a long time.

• 11 a job, especially one that is important:

  • advertise/fill a position We hope to fill the position within the next two months.

  • apply for/take up/fill a position She will soon take up an important position with a firm of lawyers.

  • He filled the position of Executive Director recently vacated by Terry John.

• 12 a rank or level of success in a company, in society, etc.:

  • establish/gain/hold a position He took advantage of every opportunity to establish his position within the company.

  • strengthen sb's position Industry insiders said the move would strengthen the position of the chief executive on the board.

• 13 a situation that someone or something is in:

  • The bank's position looks difficult, to say the least.

  • put sb/sth in a position This decision put me in an awkward position with regard to my staff.

  • They were not willing to release details of the company's financial position.

  • be in a strong/weak position Luckily, we were in a strong position compared to the competition.

  • reach a/the position We want to reach a position where we can pay off the debt.

  • consolidate/strengthen/weaken sb's position This news will serve to consolidate our position in the market.

• 14 an opinion on an important subject:

  • position on sth What's the company's position on outsourcing?

  • take the position that The Board will certainly take the position that their decision was justified.

  • take a position (on sth) When you are negotiating, you will need to take a position and be prepared to stick to it.

• 15 the fact of investing in something, or the total amount that is invested:

  • take a position (on sth) Investors can take a position on any stock quoted in London.

  • hedge a position The riskier the stock, the more you will need to hedge your position.

• 16 to be able to do something, usually because you have the necessary experience, authority, or money:

  • Nine months ago, we were not in a position to announce the expansion plan.

• 17 to put something or someone in a particular position or situation:

  • The company has positioned itself as the country's leading textile manufacturer.

  • be well/ideally positioned to do sth We are well positioned to be able to deal with a downturn in the economy.

• 18 to advertise a product or service so that people think about it in a particular way, and so that it is attractive to a particular part of the market:

  • position sth as sth Its high-end price ticket has positioned it as a luxury item.