Meaning & use
posture
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
The way a person holds the body, especially the back, neck, and shoulders, when sitting or standing.
Grammar: Uncountable for general alignment: good posture; countable for a pose: a stiff posture.
Patterns
- good posture
- poor posture
- improve your posture
Years of desk work had rounded her shoulders and weakened her posture.
The pianist kept a relaxed posture even during difficult passages.
nounusually singularformal
An official or public position taken toward an issue.
Grammar: Usually singular and often formal: adopt a defensive posture on the issue.
Patterns
- adopt a posture
- a defensive posture
- posture on something
The union adopted a cautious posture in the wage talks.
Her posture on privacy changed after the public hearing.
verbintransitivedisapproving
To act in an exaggerated way to impress or mislead others.
Grammar: No object; often followed by as or a for-phrase: postured as an expert, postured for the cameras.
Patterns
- posture as something
- posture in front of someone
- stop posturing
He postured as an expert although he had never managed a project.
During the debate, both candidates postured for the cameras.
Word forms
| plural | postures |
|---|
Common combinations
- good posture
- Swimming helped him develop good posture.
- poor posture
- Poor posture can contribute to neck pain.
- adopt a posture
- The ministry adopted a firm posture on security.
- defensive posture
- The team shifted into a defensive posture late in the game.
- posture for the cameras
- The leaders smiled and postured for the cameras.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bearing
- Formal word for the way someone carries the body, especially with dignity.
- stance
- A position or attitude toward an issue; it does not usually describe spinal alignment.
- pose
- A deliberate position, often for effect, and can sound artificial.
- carriage
- Formal and old-fashioned, emphasizing upright movement and body control.
Word family
Commonly confused: posture or stature? posture or gesture?
posture vs stature
Stature means height or reputation; posture means body position or attitude.
posture vs gesture
A gesture is a movement or signal, while posture is a sustained bodily alignment or public stance.
Practice
After years at a desk, Maya worked to improve her ___.
Choose one answer.
Desk work can affect bodily alignment, so posture is correct. A gesture is a movement, a statute is a law, and stature is height or reputation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “posture”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.