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• pose
  pose

  verb (used without object)

  to assume a particular attitude or stance, especially with the hope of impressing others.
• posé
  posé

  noun

  a movement in which the dancer steps, in any desired position, from one foot to the other with a straight knee onto the flat foot, demi-pointe, or pointe.

pose

¹ American  

[pohz] / poʊz /

verb (used without object)

posed, posing

1. to assume a particular attitude or stance, especially with the hope of impressing others.

   He likes to pose as an authority on literature.

2. to present oneself insincerely.

   He seems to be posing in all his behavior.

3. to assume or hold a physical attitude, as for an artistic purpose.

   to pose for a painter.

   Synonyms:

   model, sit

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verb (used with object)

posed, posing

1. to place in a suitable position or attitude for a picture, tableau, or the like.

   to pose a group for a photograph.

2. to assert, state, or put forward.

   That poses a difficult problem.

3. to put or place.

noun

• poses
  plural

1. a bodily attitude or posture.

   Her pose had a note of defiance in it.

2. a mental attitude or posture.

   a pose cultivated by the upper classes.

3. the act or period of posing, as for a picture.

4. a position or attitude assumed in posing, or exhibited by a figure in a picture, sculptural work, tableau, or the like.

5. a moment in which a dancer remains motionless, usually in an assumed posture.

6. a studied attitude; affectation.

   His liberalism is merely a pose.

pose ² American  

[pohz] / poʊz /

verb (used with object)

posed, posing

1. Archaic. to perplex or baffle, as by a difficult question or problem.

2. Obsolete. to examine by putting questions.

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posé ³ American  

[poh-zey, paw-zey] / poʊˈzeɪ, pɔˈzeɪ /

noun

Ballet.

• posés
  plural

1. a movement in which the dancer steps, in any desired position, from one foot to the other with a straight knee onto the flat foot, demi-pointe, or pointe.

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pose ¹ British  

/ pəʊz /

verb

1. to assume or cause to assume a physical attitude, as for a photograph or painting

2. to pretend to be or present oneself (as something one is not)

3. (intr) to affect an attitude or play a part in order to impress others

4. (tr) to put forward, ask, or assert

   to pose a question

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noun

1. a physical attitude, esp one deliberately adopted for or represented by an artist or photographer

2. a mode of behaviour that is adopted for effect

pose ² British  

/ pəʊz /

verb

1. rare to puzzle or baffle

2. archaic to question closely

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Usage

What is the basic definition of pose? Pose means to position your body in a particular way for a painting, picture, or similar situation. Pose also means the particular positioning you assume as part of posing. To pose also means to state or assert something. Pose has several other senses as a verb and a noun. When people pose, they arrange their body and face in a certain position for some reason. For example, people often pose for pictures by making a peace sign with their hand or blowing a kiss to the camera. Before cameras were invented, politicians and other important people would pose for portraits, which often involved remaining completely still for hours at a time. A person who poses is called a poser.

• Real-life examples: Supermodels will pose when they reach the end of a catwalk. People often pose in selfies that they then post on social media. It is thought that the woman who posed for Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo.
• Used in a sentence: My family posed for a picture to use on a Christmas card. 

In this same sense, pose means a specific arrangement of the body and face that a person assumes for some reason.

• Real-life examples: Yoga involves positioning your body in a variety of poses. Many dance routines involve performing a variety of poses. Your mom likely wants you to have a nice pose for your school picture.
• Used in a sentence: The painting depicted the king in a very powerful pose.

As a verb, pose can also mean to assert, state, or put forward.

• Real-life examples: Reporters pose questions to people they are interviewing. An active volcano often poses problems to people who live nearby. A new job often poses many new challenges that a person must overcome.
• Used in a sentence: Pollution poses a threat to a healthy environment. 

Synonym Usage

See position.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• posable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• poses
  plural
• posés
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pose¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English verb posen, from Middle French poser, from Late Latin pausāre “to stop, cease, rest,” derivative of Latin pausa “stop, cessation” ( see pause); French poser has taken over the basic sense of Latin pōnere “to put, place” and represents it in French borrowings of its prefixed derivatives ( see compose, depose, etc.)

Origin of pose²

First recorded in 1520–30; shortening of obsolete appose, variant of oppose, used in sense of Latin appōnere “to put to”

Origin of posé³

First recorded in 1925–30; from French: “poised,” past participle of poser “to pose”; see pose ¹

Explanation

To pose is to assume a particular stance. Like a runway model strutting to the end of the catwalk, posing with her hands on her hips, and then gracefully walking back. The original meaning of pose from the 14th century is "to put in a certain position." The sense of pose as "to assume a certain attitude" emerged in the 1850’s. When a person poses, he presents himself in a particular way, often with the hope of impressing others. But if you're just posing objects, then the word loses the negative connotation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pose posé poses posed posing

Technology stocks came under pressure Monday after tech bosses backed calls to slow AI development, warning that the technology could pose a threat to humanity.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

Across the Atlantic, elevated oil prices continue to pose an inflationary threat for Europe, with Brent crude last up 3.5% at $108.28 a barrel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Likewise, Hernandez-Thompson grounds “If I Go” with powerful montages of real residents shot with seemingly no other direction than to pose however they want.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

These fluorinated substances are increasingly under scrutiny because they can persist in the environment and may pose environmental and health risks.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

In contrast to the figure of Hades on the column drum, the bronze youth in figure 19 is free to move about, lending him a lifelike presence that is further enhanced by his dancing pose.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

He says Philippe, the coiffeur, has never left him, that it won't be his fault if my diadem is not perfectly posé, and that he plied him with beer all along the route.

From Letters of a Diplomat's Wife 1883-1900 by Mary King Waddington

No social posé has yet been attained; and each is too much absorbed in making good his general claims to consideration, to have leisure for the calmer enjoyments that might be snatched during the contest.

From The International Monthly, Volume 4, No. 1, August, 1851 by Various

If it be a question of mere pabulum, it is altogether mal posé.

From Life: Its True Genesis by R. W. Wright

We have heard him say: "No, I will not claim the hat in that photograph, though I made it, because it is mal posé."

From Woman as Decoration by Emily Burbank

The titans of the booming artificial-intelligence industry have sounded a three-alarm fire, warning that AI poses an existential risk to the human race and urging a global slowdown in the breakneck pace of development.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

This poses a major threat to the tombs in this area.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

Leading figures in the AI field have been raising the alarm about the safety threat the tech poses for years, with the heads of OpenAI, Google Deepmind and Anthropic saying as much in 2023.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Though she initially identified with her male birth name, the more she painted herself in Venus-like, feminine poses and with longer hair, her understanding of her identity shifted.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

“The...shadow of our dark time still haunts us. It poses no danger. That much I can say. There is nothing to fear. I assure you.”

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

The United Nations rights chief called Monday for countries and artificial intelligence companies to act urgently to rein in a technology he warned posed "unprecedented risks".

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

In photos of the Bahamas celebration reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, guests posed under a heart, and one guest captioned her post “the wedding of the century.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Understanding those differences, along with the techniques used to uncover them, could help scientists improve models used to estimate the risks posed by future eruptions.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

The problem is that the risks posed by most of the chemicals that they look at, in the amounts they report finding, are often blown wildly out of proportion.

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026

Whether an avid hunter with poor eyesight posed no danger to anyone was debatable, in Penelope’s view.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Polls show her leading in the first round of the presidential vote next spring and as posing at least a major threat to any rival in the second.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

It’s reasonable to conclude that Putin is posing the same question.

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026

The president and stock investors appear to share concern that rates are about to go higher, posing a challenge to economic growth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Later, Channel 4 broadcast footage from a lunch in Clacton in Essex, with both the reporter posing as the UK based son, and another reporter – his supposed American father.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

I hate the forced laughter, the awkward posing, and the concept of talking about absolutely nothing just to be polite.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• mannerism
• mien
• posture