posture Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the arrangement of the body and its limbs
    position; attitude.
    • he assumed an attitude of surrender
  2. noun characteristic way of bearing one's body
    bearing; carriage.
    • stood with good posture
  3. noun a rationalized mental attitude
    position; stance.
  4. noun capability in terms of personnel and materiel that affect the capacity to fight a war
    strength; military posture; military capability; military strength.
    • we faced an army of great strength
    • politicians have neglected our military posture
  5. verb behave affectedly or unnaturally in order to impress others
    pose.
    • Don't pay any attention to him--he is always posing to impress his peers!
    • She postured and made a total fool of herself
  6. verb assume a posture as for artistic purposes
    model; pose; sit.
    • We don't know the woman who posed for Leonardo so often

WordNet

Pos"ture noun
Etymology
F., fr. L. positura, fr. ponere, positum, to place. See Position.
Definitions
  1. The position of the body; the situation or disposition of the several parts of the body with respect to each other, or for a particular purpose; especially (Fine Arts), the position of a figure with regard to the several principal members by which action is expressed; attitude.
    Atalanta, the posture of whose limbs was so lively expressed . . . one would have sworn the very picture had run. Sir P. Sidney.
    In most strange postures We have seen him set himself. Shak.
    The posture of a poetic figure is a description of his heroes in the performance of such or such an action. Dryden.
  2. Place; position; situation. Obs. Milton.
    His [man's] noblest posture and station in this world. Sir M. Hale.
  3. State or condition, whether of external circumstances, or of internal feeling and will; disposition; mood; as, a posture of defense; the posture of affairs.
    The several postures of his devout soul. Atterbury.
    Syn. -- Attitude; position. See Attitude.
Pos"ture transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Postured ; present participle & verbal noun Posturing
Definitions
  1. To place in a particular position or attitude; to dispose the parts of, with reference to a particular purpose; as, to posture one's self; to posture a model. Howell.
Pos"ture intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To assume a particular posture or attitude; to contort the body into artificial attitudes, as an acrobat or contortionist; also, to pose.
  2. Fig.: To assume a character; as, to posture as a saint.

Webster 1913