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Meaning & use

final position

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌfaɪnl pəˈzɪʃn/
US/ˌfaɪnl pəˈzɪʃən/

Meanings

  1. nouncountablesport

    The place or rank where someone or something finishes after a race, competition, or series of events.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a final position' or 'the final position'. Often used with verbs like 'finish in' or 'end in'.

    Patterns

    • finish in a final position
    • end in a final position
    • somebody's final position

    After the last race, she finished in a final position of second place.

    The team's final position in the league was fourth out of twenty.

    He was disappointed with his final position after leading for most of the marathon.

  2. nouncountable

    The last location or arrangement that something has after being moved or placed.

    Grammar: Countable and usually used with 'the' when referring to a specific object's location. Often followed by 'of'.

    Patterns

    • the final position of something
    • in its final position

    Make sure the final position of the picture frame is straight before you hammer the nail in.

    The chess piece's final position on the board was unexpected.

    The final position of the satellite was recorded by the control center.

Word forms

pluralfinal positions

Common combinations

finish in a final position
The runner finished in a final position of fifth.
the final position of the league table
The final position of the league table was decided on the last day.
end in a final position
The horse ended in a final position of third.
improve one's final position
A win in the last game could improve their final position.
the final position of the piece
The final position of the piece on the board was checkmate.

Synonyms and how they differ

ranking
Ranking is more general and can refer to a position in a list at any time, not just at the end of a competition.
placing
Placing is often used in sports and competitions to mean the position you finish in, but it is slightly more informal than final position.

Word family

final adjective
Last; coming at the end.
position noun
A place or rank.

Commonly confused: final position or final score?

final position vs final score

Final score is the number of points at the end of a game, while final position is the rank or place someone finishes in.

Practice

After the marathon, she finished in a _____ of third place.

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