positional

1. not comparableRelating to the position of something.

   The mattress platform on Davey’s bed fell unexpectedly, “trapping her neck against the upper surface of the side panel of the bed’s base,” Chipperfield explained. “Unable to free herself, she died of positional asphyxia. One of the two gas-lift pistons was defective.”

   2024 October 14, Issy Ronald, “Woman killed by malfunctioning ottoman bed”, in CNN

2. not comparableeconomicsHaving or pertaining to a value that is a function of its social desirability, as opposed to its utility.

   Regarding saving and consumption, nonpositional and positional consumption are distinguished.

   2014, Shenggen Fan, Ravi Kanbur, Shang-Jin Wei, The Oxford Companion to the Economics of China

   3 more examples

   Of course, this ex post problem may have a negative feedback on the ex ante desirability of having market transactions for positional goods.

   1998, Samuel Bowles, Maurizio Franzini, Ugo Pagano, The Politics and Economics of Power, page 61

   Since economics is about scarcity, its study must be based on positional conflict, as indicated by the behaviour of the nouveau riche, or of poor people, who proudly demonstrate their latest smartphones or plasma TV sets.

   2013, Anastasios S. Korkotsides, Against Utility-Based Economics: On a Life-Based Approach, page 235

   Max Weber was also aware of positional considerations when he defined social status as "an effective claim to social esteem in terms of positive or negative privileges" (Weber, 1922: 305).

   2016, Stavros A. Drakopoulos, Comparisons in Economic Thought, page 69

3. not comparableboard gamesBased on long-term strategy, on gaining and exploiting small advantages, and on analyzing the larger position, rather than calculating more immediate tactics.
4. not comparablecomputingAn argument that is passed to a subroutine according to its position in the invocation code, rather than on its name; compare with named.

plural positionals

1. human sciencesA member of a class of verb in some languages that indicates position or posture.