posture

1 of 2

noun

pos·​ture ˈpäs-chər How to pronounce posture (audio)
Synonyms of posturenext
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
ˈpäs-chər-ər How to pronounce posture (audio)
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 ponere—positus—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.

Synonyms

Noun

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Ultimately, a golden source of information enables a win-win approach, where everybody in the business has the information and understanding needed to drive the organization forward, with complete trust in their colleagues and their overall risk posture. —Jonathan Gill, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 Observing tail posture in rats adds a new layer to our understanding of rat emotional expression, reminding us that emotions are expressed throughout the entire body. —Kelly Lambert, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
Lower inflation and signs that the Fed is posturing for rate cuts are good news for business owners who want to divest. —Marc Emmer, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 Virtue-signaling corporations postured and threatened the state, and Major League Baseball even pulled the All-Star Game. —The Editors, National Review, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for posture 

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

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Dictionary Entries Near posture

postural

posture

postvaccinal

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Posture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/posture. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

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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

Nglish: Translation of posture for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of posture for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about posture

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