stance

American  

[stans] / stæns /

noun

• stances
  plural

1. the position or bearing of the body while standing.

   legs spread in a wide stance; the threatening stance of the bull.

2. a mental or emotional position adopted with respect to something.

   They assumed an increasingly hostile stance in their foreign policy.

3. Sports. the relative position of the feet, as in addressing a golf ball or in making a stroke.

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stance British  

/ stæns, stɑːns /

noun

1. the manner and position in which a person or animal stands

2. sport the posture assumed when about to play the ball, as in golf, cricket, etc

3. general emotional or intellectual attitude

   a leftist stance

4. a place where buses or taxis wait

5. mountaineering a place at the top of a pitch where a climber can stand and belay

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• stances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of stance

First recorded in 1525–35; from Old French estance, “(standing) position,” from Vulgar Latin stantia (unrecorded), derivative of Latin stant-, stem of stāns “standing,” present participle of stāre “to stand”; see also stand

Explanation

Your stance is your posture or the way you stand. Figuratively, if you take a stance against bullying, you are standing against it. If you take a stance on a contentious issue, it means you believe strongly about it one way or the other. If your stance is unpopular, you'll need some courage to speak your mind. The word comes from the Italian stanza which means stopping place. Your stance is something that's not likely to change. You have stopped there, your decision is made. You're done.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stance stances

Takaichi has also accelerated a beefing up of Japan's military capabilities as its sheds its strict pacifist stance in place since the war.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

“The effects of economic pressure on Iran’s negotiating stance will depend on internal politics,” said William Jackson, chief emerging markets economist at Capital Economics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

“It’s a well-run business, and then what we like is that they have taken an extremely cautious and customer-focused stance on data-center developments,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

Villavicencio, a journalist turned prominent legislator, was known for his anti-corruption stance and was one of few candidates to allege links between organised crime and government officials.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

He pushed himself off his car and straightened his stance.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

Kettner has remained bullish on stocks since 2023, as other rival Wall Street analysts have taken more cautious stances.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

But there’s another reason successors like Graham often adopt their male predecessors’ stances: political expedience.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Turk's stances have earned him sharp criticism from several governments, notably Russia and Israel.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

A robust but civilised public debate can respect both of those stances.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Now down to their tunics and knickers, they took aggressive stances.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• attitude
• posture
• stand
• viewpoint