WordGarden.ioposture
C1Pronunciation
UK
- /pˈɒstʃə/
US
- /ˈpɑstʃər/
Meanings
Noun
the way someone holds or carries their body when sitting or standing
an attitude or strategic stance toward a situation or issue
Verb
to place, hold, or arrange the body in a particular position
to adopt an exaggerated or insincere stance to impress others
Beyond the definition
Posture is most often about the way you hold your body. Think of a dancer standing tall before a performance or a student sitting up straight at a desk. That is physical posture. People often talk about it when they mean standing or sitting in a healthy, balanced way.
But the word can also describe someone's attitude or public stance. You might hear about a government's posture on trade or security, meaning the position it takes and how it presents itself. So the idea can be physical, but it can also be about the way a person, group, or country faces a situation.
Posture refers to the way someone holds their body when standing, sitting, or even lying down. This is the meaning people use most often. Good posture usually means the body is in a natural, healthy position, with the back, shoulders, and neck properly aligned. That is why people talk about improving it at a desk, while walking, or during exercise. For example: "She had good posture, standing tall with her shoulders back."
The word also has a wider meaning. It can describe someone's attitude, approach, or public stance in a situation. A defensive posture in an argument suggests that a person is protecting themselves and not ready to give in. In news or business writing, it can describe the position a company, government, or leader takes on an issue. For example, a country may change its military posture, or a company may take a cautious posture during a difficult market.
In everyday use, the physical sense is the most common, but the idea behind both meanings is similar. In each case, the word is about position: either the position of the body or the position someone takes in response to something. So it can describe the way you carry yourself, or the way a person or group presents itself to the world.
Examples
- 1
Sitting
That chair is bad for your posture.
- 2
Dance training
She has good posture from years of dance classes.
- 3
Body language
His relaxed posture made everyone in the room feel calmer.
- 4
Yoga
Hold this yoga posture for five slow breaths.
- Domain
in yoga, a posture is a position you hold
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Public relations
After the bad reviews, the company took a more defensive posture.
- Phrasedefensive posture
a way of reacting that protects or justifies yourself
- 6
Public position
The minister softened his posture on the issue after the meeting.
- Patternposture on + issue
public position or attitude about it
- 7
Public performance
He was just posturing for the cameras instead of answering the question.
- Patternposture for + audience
act in a way meant to impress people
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- posturenounverb
Forms
- posturing-ing formverbnoun
- posturespluralnounverb
- posturedpast tenseverbnoun