positional

adjective

po·​si·​tion·​al pə-ˈzi-sh(ə-)nəl 

1

: of, relating to, or fixed by position

positional astronomy

2

: involving little movement

positional warfare

3

: dependent on position or environment or context

the front-articulated \k\ in \kē\ key and the back-articulated \k\ in \kül\ cool are positional variants

positionally adverb

Examples of positional in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That queasy positional balancing act occurs throughout Nightbitch, and Adams, whose button-cute sweetness always seems to hide a deep intelligence, is ideally suited for both sides of the see-saw. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024

Originally a creative midfielder, his positional play, especially when defending high balls played in behind, became far more apparent when Liverpool struggled. —Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024

Hernandez played with swashbuckling aggression, ranging far from his positional crouch, expanding the realm. —Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2024

The current fighting isn’t just the usual back and forth that has characterized this largely positional war. —David Axe, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing positional

• benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
• benign positional vertigo
• positional notation