posturing

American

[pos-cher-ing] / ˈpɒs tʃər ɪŋ /

noun

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.

adjective

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

posturing

There comes a time when one extols cinema’s virtues so fiercely that it feels like posturing.

From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026

By throwing a naive character into this environment, what were you aiming to expose about the difference between posturing around these subcultures and the lived reality of them?

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

And that’s where the series’ high-value content plays out—not in the battles, not in the political posturing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026