posture

[ pos-cher ]

See synonyms for posture on Thesaurus.com

noun

the relative disposition of the parts of something.
the position of the limbs or the carriage of the body as a whole: poor posture; a sitting posture.

an affected or unnatural attitude: He struck a comic posture.
a mental or spiritual attitude: His ideas reveal a defensive posture.
one's image or policy as perceived by the public, other nations, etc.: The company wants to develop a more aggressive marketing posture.
position, condition, or state, as of affairs.

verb (used with object),pos·tured, pos·tur·ing.

to place in a particular posture or attitude.
to position, especially strategically: to posture troops along a border.

to develop a policy or stance for (oneself, a company, government, etc.): The White House postured itself for dealing with the fuel crisis.
to adopt an attitude or take an official position on (a matter): The company postured that the court's ruling could be interpreted as being in its favor.

verb (used without object),pos·tured, pos·tur·ing.

to assume a particular posture.
to assume affected or unnatural postures, as by bending or contorting the body.

to act in an affected or artificial manner, as to create a certain impression.

Origin of posture

First recorded in 1595–1605; from French, from Italian postura, from Latin positūra.See posit, -ure

synonym study For posture

2. See position.

How to use posture in a sentence

Peters had uniformly, since he had been in the Low Countries, postured as an Independent hot and strong.
Cornish Characters | S. Baring-Gould
He postured there for some moments, for he felt that together they formed a tableau.
Nana, The Miller's Daughter, Captain Burle, Death of Olivier Becaille | Emile Zola
Against a background of blossoming laurel and crystal brightness Boone sat, stiff-postured, with eyes fixed and unseeing.
The Tempering | Charles Neville Buck
The music was the “Waltz of Salomé,” and with its slow-fading end they postured slower and slower to a perfect close.
The Little Lady of the Big House | Jack London
They were men postured like jumping jacks only their legs and arms were still.
Behind the Scenes in Warring Germany | Edward Lyell Fox

British Dictionary definitions for posture

posture

/ (ˈpɒstʃə) /

noun

a position or attitude of the limbs or body
a characteristic manner of bearing the body; carriage: to have good posture

the disposition of the parts of a visible object
a mental attitude or frame of mind
a state, situation, or condition
a false or affected attitude; pose

verb

to assume or cause to assume a bodily position or attitude
(intr) to assume an affected or unnatural bodily or mental posture; pose

Origin of posture

C17: via French from Italian postura, from Latin positūra, from pōnere to place

Derived forms of posture

postural, adjective
posturer, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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