posture
Americannoun
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the relative disposition of the parts of something.
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the position of the limbs or the carriage of the body as a whole.
poor posture; a sitting posture.
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an affected or unnatural attitude.
He struck a comic posture.
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a mental or spiritual attitude.
His ideas reveal a defensive posture.
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one's image or policy as perceived by the public, other nations, etc..
The company wants to develop a more aggressive marketing posture.
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position, condition, or state, as of affairs.
verb (used with object)
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to place in a particular posture or attitude.
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to position, especially strategically.
to posture troops along a border.
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to develop a policy or stance for (oneself, a company, government, etc.).
The White House postured itself for dealing with the fuel crisis.
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to adopt an attitude or take an official position on (a matter).
The company postured that the court's ruling could be interpreted as being in its favor.
verb (used without object)
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to assume a particular posture.
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to assume affected or unnatural postures, as by bending or contorting the body.
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to act in an affected or artificial manner, as to create a certain impression.
noun
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a position or attitude of the limbs or body
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a characteristic manner of bearing the body; carriage
to have good posture
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the disposition of the parts of a visible object
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a mental attitude or frame of mind
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a state, situation, or condition
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a false or affected attitude; pose
verb
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to assume or cause to assume a bodily position or attitude
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(intr) to assume an affected or unnatural bodily or mental posture; pose
Related Words
See position.
Other Word Forms
- postural adjective
- posturer noun
Etymology
Origin of posture
First recorded in 1595–1605; from French, from Italian postura, from Latin positūra. See posit, -ure
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.
This is because the court took the case in a pre-enforcement posture, before Colorado ever enforced its ban in an actual dispute involving concrete facts and real people who suffered through the “conversion” process.
From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026
The heightened defence posture at RAF Akrotiri will inevitably stretch the UK's already strained armed forces.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
This posture likely helped them reach leaves high in trees and may have made them look larger and more intimidating to predators.
From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026
It also included training in intangible skills, she said: “How to walk into a room, how to own a room, how you’re projecting your posture and your voice.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
It would almost be cute, if not for the sprawling, chaotic posture she’s assumed on the basement couch.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
