posture

1 of 2

noun

pos·​ture ˈpäs-chər 

1

a

: the position or bearing of the body whether characteristic or assumed for a special purpose

erect posture

b

: the pose of a model or artistic figure

2

: state or condition at a given time especially with respect to capability in particular circumstances

maintain a competitive posture in the market

3

: a conscious mental or outward behavioral attitude

It makes money seem … the sole criterion of well-being. It forces on us all the aggressive posture of comparative envy.

—Paul Johnson

posture

2 of 2

verb

postured; posturing

transitive verb

: to cause to assume a given posture : pose

intransitive verb

1

: to assume a posture

especially : to strike a pose for effect

2

: to assume an artificial or pretended attitude : attitudinize

These automata, posturing in their little brief authority as persons of importance …

—George Bernard Shaw

posturer

ˈpäs-chər-ər 

noun

Did you know?

The Latin verb ponere, meaning "to put" or "to place," had a role in putting quite a few English terms into place, including component, dispose, expose, impose, oppose, posit, position, positive, postpone, and, yes, posture. The past participle of ponere—positus—gave Latin the noun positura, which has the same meaning as the English noun posture. Positura passed through Italian and Middle French and was finally adopted by English speakers as posture in the late 16th century. The verb posture later developed from the noun, finding its place in English at around the midpoint of the 17th century.

Synonyms of posture

Noun

• stance
• attitude

Examples of posture in a Sentence

Noun

Human beings have an upright posture.

a good upright posture will prevent backaches

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Trump’s quiet posture in Virginia is not new. —Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2025

Besides promoting pain-free movement, building your back muscles strengthens the supporting muscles that aid in posture and stability. —Leoni Jesner, Health, 1 Nov. 2025

Verb

Boosting the coast guard, Shugart postures, indicates preparation for gray zone deployment such as a potential quarantine. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025

The Cuban Missile Crisis suggests that leaders sometimes respond more effectively when adversaries stay quiet and that open declarations of intent, paradoxically, can make governments more likely to dismiss threats as posturing. —Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French, from Italian postura, from Latin positura, from positus, past participle of ponere to place — more at position

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1645, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for posture

• imposture

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Kids Definition

posture

1 of 2 noun

pos·​ture ˈpäs-chər 

1

: the position of one part of the body with relation to other parts : the general way of holding the body

2

: a particular condition or state

a country's defense posture

postural

-chə-rəl

adjective

posture

2 of 2 verb

postured; posturing

: to take a particular posture : pose

Medical Definition

posture

noun

pos·​ture ˈpäs-chər 

1

: the position or bearing of the body whether characteristic or assumed for a special purpose

erect posture

2

: a conscious mental or outward behavioral attitude