posture
position of the body
The way your body is held when you sit, stand, or move, for example straight or bent.
[someone] has [good/bad] posture
- The therapist told him to correct his posture while working at his desk.
- Her confident posture made her look taller than she really was.
- Years of poor posture had given him pain in his neck and shoulders.
- Yoga has helped me develop better posture when I sit and stand.
- She has very good posture.
- My doctor says my back hurts because of my bad posture.
- I try to sit with straight posture at my computer.
- Good posture can help you breathe more easily.
attitude or approach to issue
The attitude or way of acting that someone or a group decides to use toward a problem or situation.
[someone]'s posture toward [something]
- The company has adopted a much stricter posture toward data privacy.
- His public posture on climate change has softened in recent years.
- The new government is signaling a more cooperative posture in trade talks.
- Analysts criticized the country’s aggressive posture toward its neighbors.
- The president changed his posture toward the peace talks.
- Our team needs a more active posture in the market.
- She has a very open posture on this question now.
- Their defensive posture makes an agreement difficult.
hold body in a pose
To put your body in a special or showy position, usually on purpose.
[someone] postures in/for [a way/purpose]
- The actor postured in front of the photographers on the red carpet.
- He spent several minutes posturing in the mirror before the interview.
- The models postured elegantly along the runway.
- She refused to posture for the camera and just smiled naturally instead.
- The singer postured on stage for the fans.
- He postured in front of the mirror before his date.
- The model postured for the fashion photos.
- They postured by the car to look cool.
behave to impress or signal
To act in a way that is not really true, but is meant to look strong, kind, or important to other people.
[someone] postures as [role/attitude]
- Critics said the governor was just posturing and had no real plan for reform.
- He postures as a defender of the poor, but he rarely supports concrete policies.
- The two leaders spent the first day of talks posturing for the media.
- Stop posturing and tell us what you actually think.
- The politician is only posturing for votes.
- He postures as a strong leader, but he is not.
- They are posturing for the TV cameras.
- She does not posture; she speaks honestly.
military force arrangement
How a country's army, navy, and other forces are placed and ready to act, often in a certain area or situation.
[a country]'s military/strategic/nuclear posture
- The report calls for changes to the country’s military posture in the region.
- Allies are concerned about the increasingly aggressive posture of enemy forces near the border.
- The new defense strategy includes a review of nuclear posture.
- Satellite images suggest a shift in the nation’s force posture along the coast.
- The country changed its military posture after the attack.
- Leaders talked about the nuclear posture of the two states.
- Their new posture puts more troops near the border.
- The report studies the military posture in Asia.
- Base: posture
- Plural: posture, postures
- Base: posture
- 3rd Person Singular: postures
- Present Participle: posturing
- Past: postured
adopt a defensive posture
1take a cautious attitude
To decide to act in a careful, protective way, often because you feel attacked or under pressure.
- The company adopted a defensive posture after journalists questioned its safety record.
- During the debate, the candidate quickly adopted a defensive posture when asked about his past statements.
good posture
1healthy upright body position
Having your back and shoulders in a straight, healthy position when you sit or stand.
- Regular exercise can help you develop good posture.
- Teachers often remind students to sit with good posture during class.
poor posture
1unhealthy body position
Having your body held in a way that is bent or not healthy when you sit or stand.
- Spending long hours on your phone can lead to poor posture.
- Her neck pain was caused by years of poor posture at work.