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

Bragging, threatening, and posturing are all frowned upon.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

In a “risk-on” market, investors rush to buy up stocks that had been especially beaten down during prior bouts of defensive posturing, noted Cantor Fitzgerald’s C.J.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

United felt the German giants were posturing and would let Sancho leave regardless.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

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

From Salon • Feb. 2, 2026

He drops the formal posturing and leans close, the smugness rolling off him so thickly that I think I’ll choke on it.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Related Words

• charade
• cloak
• pretext
• semblance
• veneer