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

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

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

Noun

• attitude
• carriage
• poise
• stance
• station

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

Cooling technology doesn’t erase back pain, but staying cool and comfortable at night may prevent tossing and turning, which can lead to poor sleep posture. —Ashley Zlatopolsky, Architectural Digest, 17 Oct. 2024

At the outset, his administration aimed to right-size the U.S. posture in the Middle East, but in the end not much changed on the ground. —Christopher S. Chivvis, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2024

Verb

Nothing gets those patriotic juices flowing – and the country music blaring – like candidates posturing over who loves the stars and stripes more. —Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2024

Moves like this aren’t just posturing for posturing sake, the brand’s revenues speak for themself—nearly $1 billion by the end of 2023. —Greg McKenna, Fortune Europe, 18 Sep. 2024

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

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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