Meaning of “position” in the English Dictionary

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"position" in English

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positionnoun

uk ​ /pəˈzɪʃ.ən/ us ​ /pəˈzɪʃ.ən/

position noun (PLACE)

B1 [ C ] 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.

› [ C ] (in team sports) the part someone plays in a game, relating to the area of the field in which they mostly play:

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

C1 [ C or U ] the place where people are sent in order to carry out a course of action:

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.

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position noun (SITUATION)

B1 [ C usually singular ] 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.
be in a position to do sth

C1 to be able to do something, usually because you have the necessary experience, authority, or money:

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.

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position noun (RANK)

B2 [ C ] 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.

B2 [ C ] a job:

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

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position noun (ARRANGEMENT)

B1 [ C ] the way in which something is arranged:

I go to sleep on my back but I always wake up in a different position.
Keep the bottles in an upright position.
This is not a very comfortable position.

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positionverb [ T usually + adv/prep ]

uk ​ /pəˈzɪʃ.ən/ us ​ /pəˈzɪʃ.ən/

› 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.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

(Definition of “position” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"position" in American English

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positionnoun

us ​ /pəˈzɪʃ·ən/

position noun (PLACE)

› [ C/U ] 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/U ] In sports, a position is the place where you play on your team, or the responsibilities of someone who plays in that place:

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

position noun (RANK)

› [ C ] a rank or level in a company, competition, or society:

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

› [ C ] A position in a company or organization is also a job:

He applied for the position of marketing manager.

position noun (SITUATION)

› [ C usually sing ] a situation or condition:

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

› [ C usually sing ] If you are in a position to do something, you are able to do it, usually because you have the necessary power or money:

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

position noun (OPINION)

› [ C ] a way of thinking about a particular matter; opinion:

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

position noun (ARRANGEMENT OF BODY)

› [ C ] the way in which the body is arranged:

My knees get stiff when I sit in the same position for a long time.
position
verb [ T ] us ​ /pəˈzɪʃ·ən/

›

The Secret Service men quickly positioned themselves around the president.

(Definition of “position” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

"position" in Business English

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positionnoun [ C ]

uk ​ /pəˈzɪʃən/ us ​

› HR, WORKPLACE 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.

› 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.

› 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.

› 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.

› FINANCE 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.
be in a position to do sth

› 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.

See also

bear position
bull position
cash position
island position
long position
open position
short position
special position

positionverb [ T ]

uk ​ /pəˈzɪʃən/ us ​

› 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.

› MARKETING 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.

(Definition of “position” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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