pon-, posit-, pos-, -poning, -poned, -ponency, -ponent, -ponement, -pound

A suggestion, an assumption, or a fact that is put forward for consideration: The posits that were proposed by the teachers, Mr. Gregory and Mrs. Evans, were accepted by the other members of the faculty.

1. To assume the existence of; to postulate: Dr. James, the scientist, posited that black holes in the universe predated the existence of the stars.
2. To put forward, as for consideration or study; to suggest an idea or theory; especially, in order to begin a discussion: The astronomers, Tom and Gerry, posited that the stars and the universe are composed of mysterious dark holes.
3. To place something firmly in place: Blacky, the mule, posited its foot firmly on the bridge before starting to walk across it.

The workers, Doug and Gary, were positing special square stone pieces to construct the driveway instead of making a solid concrete one.

1. The area where something or someone is located or has been situated: Cathy and Cindy and the other demonstrators took up their position in front of the city hall.
2. The correct location where something or someone should be placed: Cindy told her son, Teddy, to make sure the lid of the jar was put into the right position before he tried to turn it.
3. A place where part of a military unit is posted for strategic reasons: The drones have fired on the enemy's positions in the mountains of Afghanistan.
4. A particular way in which someone or something is installed or arranged: Dr. McMahon, the dentist, adjusted Darla's dental chair into a reclining position.
5. The way people stand, sit, or lie down: There are various positions people can be in; including, kneeling, lying down, crouching, slouching, leaning, squatting, sitting, standing, etc.
6. Etymology: from posit-, another form of ponere, "to put, to place".

1. To distribute something or someone in a particular place or way: Mary and Tom and the other guests positioned themselves at the dinner table for the evening meal.
2. To promote a product, a business, or a service in a special division of a market, or as the fulfillment of that sector's specific requirements: The company presented a comprehensive development plan that could position the two towns as major economic forces in that region of the country.
3. To regard someone as a particular kind of person: The lexicographer positioned the freelance writer as a contributor to a more comprehensible dictionary.

Relating to, or determined by a place or location of someone or something: After losing the game, Jack, the coach, knew that he would have to make several positional changes in his football team.

The project leaders, Mr. Smith and Mrs. Black, were striving to create positional advantages for their new product.

A reference to being seated or arranged in a special way: Joy, the writer, positionally rearranged herself every so often while she was working on her novel at her computer.

1. Characterized by, or displaying certainty, acceptance, or affirmation, and not having any doubt: The new stage play resulted in a positive review in the newspaper.

Mr. Johnson, the professor, provided positive feedback on the chart of chemical components which was developed by the students.

2. Conclusive and beyond doubt or question: Janet made a positive identification of the accused robber.
3. Confident, optimistic, and focusing on good things rather than bad ones: Jeff had a positive attitude about what he was doing on his job.
4. Producing good results because of some kind of beneficial content: The trip to the zoo was a positive experience for Tim and the other students in the biology class.
5. Encouraging behavior; especially, in the young, that is considered morally good: Henry was a great example of being a positive role model.
6. Used to emphasize the degree to which something is true, striking, or impressive: Viewing the valley from the top of the mountain was a very positive experience.
7. In mathematics, capable of being measured, detected, or perceived: There was a positive correlation between Tom's investment in telecommunications and its economic development.
8. In medicine, indicating the presence of a particular organism or component in the results of a test or examination: The medical tests indicated Susan had tested positive for having TB and so the Dr. Diedrich prescribed medication and rest.
9. That which is measured in a direction, or designated as a quantity, equal in magnitude, but opposite to that regarded as negative: The temperature that was indicated on the thermometer read + 5° Centigrade which is a positive and warming temperature.
10. Having an electrical charge of an opposite polarity to that of an electron and the same polarity as that of a proton: The "+" on a battery indicates that it is the positive end.
11. Relating to the theory that knowledge can be acquired only through direct observation and experimentation: The hands-on approach in the biology class created a positive learning experience for Burton and Sandy.
12. In biology, indicating growth, response, or movement toward a stimulus: Phototropism is the positive growth of a plant towards a light source.
13. Etymology: from about 1300, a legal term meaning "formally laid down"; from Old French positif; from Latin positivus, "settled by arbitrary agreement" as opposed to naturalis, "natural"; from positus, past participle form of ponere, "to put, to place". A positive character stays "put" in his or her opinions.

The sense is broadened to "expressed without qualification" (1598), then "confident in opinion" (1665); mathematical use is from 1704; in electricity, 1755.

The psychological sense of "concentrating on what is constructive and good" is recorded from 1916. Positivism (1847) is the philosophy of Auguste Comte, who published Philosophie positive in 1830.

A reference to something that is certain or which leaves no doubt: The police could not positively prove that the suspect was in the area when the robbery took place.

Debora was more positively outstanding than she usually had been when she explained the mathematical solutions to her fellow students in class.

1. That which promises to be a successful result: The positiveness of Tom's fellow worker made it easier to achieve a wonderful outcome.
2. Something that is undeniable and which is not worth arguing about: The positivenesses of the scientific experiments left no doubt that they have valid applications for the future.

1. A doctrine or philosophical system that maintains that sense perceptions are the essential foundations of human erudition and precise thinking: Positivism is a way of thinking that consists of experimental investigation, scientific facts, and physical observations that are considered to be the primary sources of real knowledge.

Positivism declares that the only real knowledge is scientific knowledge, and that such cognizance can only come from positive affirmation of theories with a strict scientific method; in other words, a system of philosophy that accepts only things that can be seen or physically proven.

The modern usage of positivism indicates a lack of confidence in any speculation that is not controlled by factual data and sense experiences.

2. In jurisprudence or the system of laws, the view that any legal system is best studied by concentrating on the law of a specific system: The positivism of law includes the standards of conduct that are dictated by validly enacted laws, rather than by principles of natural law or by the nature of human beings.

Anyone who emphasizes facts that can be proven scientifically rather than hypothetical origins of information: A positivist maintains that sense perceptions are the only legitimate admissible basis of human judgment and precise thoughts.

Some positivists say that valid insight depends on observable facts and the sciences, beginning with mathematics and concluding with the social behaviors of humans.

A reference to the idea that the only real knowledge people possess is scientific knowledge: Positivist thinkers are said to believe that all principles are derived from physical experiences; so, the physical world can be nothing more than a generalization of sensory experiences.

1. A place where a group of people in an army, navy, or air force work: Timothy returned to the post with a message for the base commander.
2. Information or a message placed where the public can see it: People could see the posts on the walls of some buildings in town that were advertising the musical presentation at the auditorium.
3. Information that is presented on the internet: The site received several posts about its condemnation of the new senator.
4. Etymology: from Latin positum; from ponere, "to place" or "to put".

1. To have someone stay at a particular location or place: Medical personnel were posted nearby in case there was an emergency.

The officials were posting the police to control the demonstrators.

2. To put in an assigned place: Captain Jones will post at least two soldiers at each gate of the military base on Tuesday.

Guards were posted at all of the doors of the hotel while the visiting head of the foreign country was there.

3. Keeping another person or people informed: Alice told her uncle that she would keep him posted about her travel plans.
4. Etymology: the original meaning of these verbs is "position where someone is placed" and it indicates its Latin source of ponere, "to put, to place".

1. A public place where mail is received and sorted, distributed, delivered, and also where stamps are sold and other related services are provided: Post offices, or postal services, around the world usually sort mail and packages and provide delivery of such items to those who are supposed to receive them.
2. Etymology: the "post" that is used in this term came from a variant of Latin posita, a past participle form of ponere, "to place" or "to put".