What does "stance" mean?

1. (opinion or attitude) your public opinion or attitude toward a particular subject. 2. (physical posture) the way you hold your body when standing, especially in a sport. 3. (a place for vehicles) a specific place where buses or taxis wait for passengers.

How do you use "stance"?

often used with the preposition 'on' or 'towards' primarily used in Scotland

stance

US //ˈstæns// UK //stˈɑːns// stance

1 opinion or attitude (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

your public opinion or attitude toward a particular subject.

a mental or emotional attitude adopted with respect to a particular issue; often implies a formal or public positioning.

Example

The government has taken a tough stance on environmental pollution.

Example

The senator's firm stance on trade policy has alienated some of her traditional supporters while gaining her respect among industrial leaders.

Usage

often used with the preposition 'on' or 'towards'
2 physical posture (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Sport

the way you hold your body when standing, especially in a sport.

the physical position or posture of the body, particularly one assumed for a specific activity like combat or athletics.

Example

The coach told the batter to widen his stance to improve his balance.

Example

The martial arts instructor corrected the student's stance, emphasizing that a stable base was essential for both defense and counter-attacks.

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3 a place for vehicles (n.)
C2 Proficiency British English Dialect

a specific place where buses or taxis wait for passengers.

a designated station or rank for public transport vehicles to await passengers.

Example

We waited at the bus stance for the express coach to arrive.

Example

The city council recently renovated the central bus stance to include sheltered seating and real-time digital arrival displays.

Usage

primarily used in Scotland
- bay
- rank
- stop

Origin

From Middle English staunce (“place to stand; battle station; position; standing in society; circumstance, situation; stanchion”), from Old French estance (“predicament; situation; sojourn, stay”) (compare modern French stance (“stanza; position one stands in when golfing”)), from Italian stanza (“room, standing place; stanza”), from Vulgar Latin stantia, from Latin stō (“to stand; to remain, stay”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- (“to stand (up)”). The word is cognate with Spanish estante (“shelf”) and a doublet of stanza. The verb is derived from the noun. Compare typologically Czech postoj (“stance (the way of holding a body); stance (point of view)”) (cognate via PIE). Also see position, posture.