Stance, Statue and Status All Mean Standing
A stance is how you stand, or the position you take on an issue. The Latin verb for standing produced an enormous family of English words.
A stance is the way you stand, and by extension the position you take on a question. Latin *stare*, to stand, is one of the most productive roots English has: station, statue, status, stable, constant, distant, instant, circumstance, substance and estate all grow out of it, and the native English *stand* comes from the same ancient source.
- A way of standing. *A wide stance.*
- A position on an issue. *The party's stance on tax.*
- In sport — how a player sets up. *An open stance.*
- Take a stance — declare a position. *She took a firm stance.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | stance | A neutral stance. |
| Plural | stances | Opposing stances. |
| Related | stand | Take a stand. |
| Related | status | Current status. |
| Related | stable | A stable base. |
- He adjusted his stance before the serve.Sport.
- The government softened its stance.Politics.
- Their stance has not changed in twenty years.Figurative.
The stare family
- Station — a standing place
- Status — the way one stands, socially
- Constant — standing together, unchanging
- Circumstance — what stands around
- Substance — what stands underneath
Old French *estance*, from Latin *stare*, to stand. English took it in the 1500s, first for a physical position and later for an opinion.
What is the difference between stance and stand?
Very little in the political sense. Take a stand suggests more active commitment; a stance can be simply a position held.
Is stand from the same root as stance?
Yes, ultimately. Stand is native English and stance came through French from Latin, but both go back to the same Indo-European root.