posturing

American  

[pos-cher-ing] / ˈpɒs tʃər ɪŋ /

noun

1. speech or action that is artificial, hypocritical, or calculated to mislead.

   I'm fed up with the reaching-across-the-aisle posturing intended to make politicians seem like they’re working hard for bipartisan reform.

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adjective

1. engaging in or characterized by such speech or behavior.

   He cynically believes that anybody trying to live up to an ideal is either a posturing liar or a simple-minded fool.

Etymology

Origin of posturing

First recorded in 1620–30; postur(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; postur(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

“There’s a lot of posturing of, ‘We want to seem like a leader in federal AI adoption,’” one said.

From Salon

An Onset representative said the fraud committed by Patrick James “is simply staggering” and his “effort to recast himself as a victim and shift blame to Onset is nothing more than factually unsupported posturing.”

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s certainly a sight better than Operation Total Nuuk Submission, which requires agitating the whole of the European Continent, weirding out allies, and posturing over title like a persnickety real-estate agent.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Microsoft-owned site was long used primarily for job hunting and corporate posturing—but data show people are now scrolling longer.

From The Wall Street Journal

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski wrote on X, “I continue to hope the administration’s rhetoric on Greenland is nothing more than posturing for a new era of cooperation.”

From Salon

Related Words

• charade
• cloak
• pretext
• semblance
• veneer