stance

The word “stance” means the way someone stands, including their posture and the position of their feet. In plain terms, how someone is physically standing, or the position they take on an issue.

“Stance” is pronounced stans (/stæns/ in IPA).

Here is “stance” used in a sentence: “The golfer adjusted his stance before swinging.”

“Stance” is a noun.

The word “stance” comes from Latin. From Old French estance, related to Italian stanza and ultimately to Latin stare, "to stand" — the same root as "stand" and "stanza.".

“Stance” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Stance” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the way someone stands, including their posture and the position of their feet.

Both mean to commit publicly to a position on an issue, and they are largely interchangeable. "Take a stand" tends to sound more forceful, suggesting resistance or defence of a principle, while "take a stance" puts the emphasis on the position or attitude adopted. Neither is wrong.

"Posture" is the general way you hold your body, especially the back and shoulders, and is often judged good or bad. "Stance" is more specific — the way you stand at a given moment, including the position of your feet. Figuratively, "stance" is the usual word for a position on an issue.

An opinion is any belief or judgment you hold, publicly or privately. A stance is a settled, declared position on an issue — deliberate, usually public, and tied to how you intend to act, as in "the party's stance on housing." You can keep an opinion to yourself; taking a stance implies commitment.

In sport, stance means how an athlete stands: posture plus the position of the feet. A balanced, stable stance is the foundation for almost every action — swinging a bat or club, throwing a punch, defending — which is why golf, boxing, cricket, and baseball coaching all treat stance as a fundamental.