English → Latin
“position” in Latin
positiōposition, place; framing; themepōnōto place; to put; to lay; to ordain; to appoint; to make (something); to set up; to pitch (camp)sinōto let; to permit; to allow; to put; to lay; to set downstatusstate, status, condition; position, place; rank, statusconditiōa making, creating; condition, status, position, circumstancelocusplace (referring to a specific location); a passage of literature; opportunity; cause; occasion; groundstempusa time (a portion or period of time); time; the kairos, right time, due season, due time, proper time, appointed time, ofortūnafortune, luck; good fortune; misfortune (depending on context); destiny, fateaptussuitable, adapted; ready; apt, propercollocōto place, put, set in order, assign, arrange; to put together, assemble; to settle
The English word position itself goes back to Latin pōnō, through positiō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
position
PROP., positio, positus, positura (☞ not in the prose of the golden period, which availed itself of circumlocutions with positum esse): situs (the manner in which anything lies or is laid; especially of the position of a place): to give a (suitable) position to a thing, aliquid (apte, etc.) ponere, collocare: to have a (suitable) position, (apte, etc.) positum, situm esse: to restore anything to its former position, alicujus rei situm revocare (with Verg., Aen., 3, 451): the natural position (of a place), situs naturalis; natura loci; (The words are found in this connection and order.) situs atque natura loci: convenient, good position of a place, situs opportunus, opportunitas loci.
Figuratively, state, circumstances, status (state, condition): conditio (the relations under which anything exists, in which anybody lives): locus (the circumstances into which a person or thing is brought; Vid: Herzog, Caes., B.G., 2, 26): tempus, tempora (καιρός, the position which time brings about; hence, in connection, frequently = bad, critical position; Vid: Commentators on Nep., Milt., 5, 1; Cic., Offic., 1, 23, 81; Cic., pro leg. Manil., 1, 1): res (general term circumstances, etc.): fortuna (external position, accidental circumstances): a good, favorable position, bonus status; bona conditio; locus bonus; causa bona; res bonae, secundae, florentes: to be or find one’s self in a good position, statu bono, conditione bona, etc., esse; causam bonam habere: to be or find one’s self in a better position, in meliore causa esse; res meae meliore loco sunt; meliore conditione esse: a bad position, status deterior; conditio iniqua, afflictior; res afflictae; res minus secundae: a hopeless position, res pessimae, perditae: my position is not the best, res meae sunt minus secundae: to be in the same position, in eadem causa or in eodem loco esse; eadem est mea causa: to find one’s self in a critical position, premi aliqua re (re frumentaria; Vid: Moeb., Caes., B.G., 1, 52, p. 96): I am greatly dissatisfied with my position, vehementer me poenitet status mei: no one is satisfied with his position, suae quemque fortunae maxime poenitet (Cic., ad Div., 6, 1, in.): nemo sorte sua contentus vivit (after Hor., Sat., 1, 1, 1, sqq.): imagine yourself in my position, eum te esse finge, qui sum ego (Cic., ad Div., 3, 12, 2): I ask, what ought I to do in my position, consulo, quid faciam de rebus meis: to restore anybody to his former position (as a citizen, etc.), restituere aliquem in pristinum statum: the position of things, rerum status: the position of affairs has very much changed, magna facta est rerum commutatio; versa sunt omnia.
Proposition, Vid.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for position?
- The usual Latin words for “position” are positiō, pōnō, sinō; also status, conditiō, locus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.