posture

1 of 2

noun

pos·​ture ˈpäs-chər How to pronounce posture (audio)
1
a
: the position or bearing of the body whether characteristic or assumed for a special purpose
erect posture
b
: the pose of a model or artistic figure
2
: state or condition at a given time especially with respect to capability in particular circumstances
maintain a competitive posture in the market
3
: a conscious mental or outward behavioral attitude

posture

2 of 2

verb

postured; posturing

transitive verb

: to cause to assume a given posture : pose

intransitive verb

1
: to assume a posture
especially : to strike a pose for effect
2
: to assume an artificial or pretended attitude : attitudinize
posturer noun

Did you know?

The Latin verb ponere, meaning "to put" or "to place," had a role in putting quite a few English terms into place, including component, dispose, expose, impose, oppose, posit, position, positive, postpone, and, yes, posture. The past participle of ponerepositus—gave Latin the noun positura, which has the same meaning as the English noun posture. Positura passed through Italian and Middle French and was finally adopted by English speakers as posture in the late 16th century. The verb posture later developed from the noun, finding its place in English at around the midpoint of the 17th century.

Examples of posture in a Sentence

Noun Human beings have an upright posture. a good upright posture will prevent backaches
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Across from them, a man in a dark suit sat alone, a sheaf of papers in front of him, his shoulders braced in the tense posture of someone who has been authorized to spend a million dollars of his boss’s money. Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 But amid such toughening of police posture, these coastal conflicts put a spotlight on a U.S. beach town history often fraught with class and racial tensions, eager for tourism income yet wary of disruption. From Miami to Tybee Island, Georgia, race complicates the management of the good times. Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024 What to Look for When Shopping for Walkers for Seniors Fit and Adjustability: An incorrect fit can lead to unsafe use and poor posture, says Dr. Anderson, so choose a walker that’s adjustable. Sarah Bradley, Verywell Health, 12 Mar. 2024 The enterprise collects as much information as possible about the current state of assets, network infrastructure and communications and uses it to improve its security posture. Ravi Ithal, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 These pants might even correct posture or provide therapeutic vibrations for stress relief, a boon for anyone from office workers to athletes. Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2024 The security posture for all tech companies will be tested, not only from big enterprises but also from your small commercial customer base. Bobbi Alexandrova, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 These symptoms often lead to a need for physical therapy to manage and improve movement, posture, and gait, despite ongoing issues with stiffness and spasms. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 Sit with good posture in your chair, with one foot flat on the ground and the other leg extended straight out. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
Analysts say China, seeking to posture itself as a global force, is becoming a dominant player in forums like the SCO, where interest for full membership from countries like Myanmar, Turkey and Afghanistan has grown in recent years. Time, 3 July 2023 On the contrary, the community of experts who drive how America postures its nuclear forces and determine what must be done to implement the president’s vision is relatively small. Ankit Panda, The New Republic, 24 Oct. 2023 Despite his close ties to Putin and the Russian government, Tikhon has tried to posture himself as sympathetic to the Ukrainian people since the invasion began. Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 12 Oct. 2023 Of course, some of their claims around climate risk are posturing to increase rates. Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2023 On Thursday, the U.A.W. postured back by filing a complaint against Mr. Scott with the National Labor Relations Board (such complaints are often dismissed). Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023 Some of that may be posturing (after all, the company’s stock has jumped 40% since Ford’s announcement), but Tesla’s existential purpose enforces a clarity and commitment that the other automakers lack. Behnam Tabrizi, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2023 Now, their tiny descendants do pushups on rocks in our gardens, posturing to attract five-inch-long mates with antics emulating those of their grand predecessors. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 31 July 2023 Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, two computer geeks worth more than $300 billion put together, are posturing to fight each other in a mixed-martial-arts cage match. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'posture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French, from Italian postura, from Latin positura, from positus, past participle of ponere to place — more at position

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1645, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of posture was circa 1586

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Dictionary Entries Near posture

Cite this Entry

“Posture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/posture. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

posture

1 of 2 noun
pos·​ture ˈpäs-chər How to pronounce posture (audio)
1
: the position of one part of the body with relation to other parts : the general way of holding the body
2
: a particular condition or state
a country's defense posture
postural
-chə-rəl
adjective

posture

2 of 2 verb
postured; posturing
: to take a particular posture : pose

Medical Definition

posture

noun
pos·​ture ˈpäs-chər How to pronounce posture (audio)
1
: the position or bearing of the body whether characteristic or assumed for a special purpose
erect posture
2
: a conscious mental or outward behavioral attitude

More from Merriam-Webster on posture

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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