positions

word · lemma: position

/pəˈzɪʃənz/
puh-ZI-shuhnz
/pəzˈɪʃənz/
puh-ZI-shuhnz

Definition

The plural of 'position'. It can mean places where people or things are, jobs or roles in an organization, or the way someone holds their body.

Usage & Nuances

Very common in work contexts: 'open positions', 'management positions'. For physical location, it often appears in instructions or sports: 'starting positions'. For opinions in debates, English more often uses 'views' or 'stances' than 'positions' in everyday speech, though 'positions' is still correct and common in formal contexts.

Example Sentences

The chairs are in the wrong positions.

basic

The company has three open positions.

basic

The teacher showed us the hand positions for the song.

basic

We need to fill these positions before the busy season starts.

natural

The players took their positions and waited for the whistle.

natural

Their positions on the issue are actually pretty similar.

natural