position (pos|ition)

noun

• 1a place where someone or something is located or has been put: the distress call had given the ship’s position Mrs Snell took up her position on the bottom step of the stairs
• [mass noun] the correct location of someone or something: sew the band into position make sure that no slates have slipped out of position
• (often positions) a place where part of a military force is posted for strategic purposes: the guns were shelling the German positions

• 2a particular way in which someone or something is placed or arranged: he moved himself into a reclining position [mass noun]: cramp forced her to change position
• the configuration of the pieces and pawns on the board at any point in a game of chess.
• Music a particular location of the hand on the fingerboard of a stringed instrument: be familiar with the first six positions across the four strings
• Music the arrangement of the constituent notes of a chord.

• 3a situation, especially as it affects one’s power to act: the company’s financial position is grim [with infinitive]: we were not in a position to judge the merits of the case
• [mass noun] the state of being placed where one has an advantage over one’s rivals or competitors: sleek motor launches jostled for position
• a person’s place or level of importance in relation to others: he made up ground to finish in second position
• [mass noun] high rank or social standing: a woman of supposed wealth and position
• a job: she retired from her position as marketing director
• (in team games) a role assigned to a particular player based on the location in which they play: he looks best in central midfield, his own preferred position

• 4a person’s point of view or attitude towards something: the party’s position on abortion

• 5the extent to which an investor, dealer, or speculator has made a commitment in the market by buying or selling securities: traders were covering short positions

• 6 Logic a proposition laid down or asserted; a tenet or assertion.

verb

• put or arrange (someone or something) in a particular place or way: he pulled out a chair and positioned it between them she positioned herself on a bench
• promote (a product, service, or business) within a particular sector of a market, or as the fulfilment of that sector’s specific requirements: a development plan which will position the city as a major economic force in the region