Position (⌖)
Position (⌖), often called true position, controls where a feature of size such as a hole, pin or slot sits: its axis or centre plane has to lie in a zone centred on the exact location given by basic dimensions from the datums.
Easily confused with
How to read it
The symbol is a circle with a cross through its centre, the lines running past the edge. The exact location, the true position, is set by basic dimensions (Cogorno; National Physical Laboratory), and the tolerance in the frame is how far the feature may vary from it. For a hole or a shaft, NPL says, the tolerance is generally the diameter of a cylindrical zone that the axis has to lie in, and a cylindrical zone is shown by a Ø before the tolerance (Cogorno). Berez’s ASME notes describe position as controlling the location of a centre point, axis, median plane or boundary of a feature of size relative to a datum reference frame, and Cogorno adds that it controls orientation and location at the same time. With a circled M after the tolerance, Cogorno explains, the bonus from a hole made larger than its smallest size is added to the positional tolerance.
Also searched as: ⌖, position gd&t, position symbol, true position symbol.
This explains what a symbol specifies on a drawing. It isn't inspection or design guidance; the drawing and the edition of the standard it cites take precedence.
Position since 2018
When ASME Y14.5-2018 dropped Concentricity (◎) and Symmetry (⌯), position took over most of their work. NIST and UNC Charlotte’s seminar notes say to control a feature’s axis with position (“coaxiality”) and to use position for the centre line or centre plane of a feature that was once toleranced with symmetry.
Look-alikes
Unicode encodes the symbol as ⌖ (U+2316) POSITION INDICATOR, “true position”. The Concentricity (◎) symbol ◎ is two circles without the cross, and Circularity (○) ○ a single plain circle.
Read next
- Next in GD&T symbolsConcentricity (◎)Concentricity (◎) required the median points of a round feature to lie within a cylindrical zone around a datum axis. ASME Y14.5-2018 removed it from the US standard; ISO 1101 still has a concentricity and coaxiality symbol, with a different meaning.
- The same shape in African flagsFlag of BurundiA white diagonal cross divides the flag into red triangles at top and bottom and green ones at the sides, with a white disc in the centre holding three red six-pointed stars. The Presidency of Burundi says the red recalls the sacrifices made to defend the nation and win independence, the green hope and prosperity, the white peace and unity, and that the three stars traditionally stand for the national motto, “Unity, Work, Progress”.
More GD&T symbols
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with circles or crosses.
Sources
- Fundamental Good Practice in the Design and Interpretation of Engineering Drawings for Measurement Processes, Measurement Good Practice Guide No. 79, David Flack and Keith Bevan, 2005, National Physical Laboratory (UK), Chapter 4, Tolerances of location
- Fundamentals of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), Part I, Jaime Berez, seminar adapted from an undergraduate mechanical engineering course, version 2.1.0, 2023, Center for Precision Metrology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Zenodo), Slide 35
- Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing for Mechanical Design: Instructors’ Guide, Gene R. Cogorno, guide to the McGraw-Hill textbook, rev. 10/12/2020, Technical Training Consultants, Chapters 3 and 7, review answers
- Fundamentals of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), Part II, Jaime Berez (UNC Charlotte) and Maxwell Praniewicz (NIST), seminar slides, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Slide 5
- Miscellaneous Technical, Range: 2300–23FF (code chart), The Unicode Standard, Unicode Consortium, U+2316
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. How we research
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