Posture

From French, from Italian postura, from Latin positÅ«ra ("position, situation")

Full definition of posture

(plural postures)

1609, William Shakespeare, CoriolanusAs if that whatsoever god who leads him
Were slily crept into his human powers,
And gave him graceful posture.
1689 (or earlier), Aphra Behn, Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister...walking in a most dejected posture, without a band, unbraced, his arms a-cross his open breast, and his eyes bent to the floor;
1895, Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being EarnestRise, sir, from this semi-recumbent posture. It is most indecorous.

1905, David Graham Phillips, The DelugeEven as I was reading these fables of my millions, there lay on the desk before me a statement of the exact posture of my affairs...
1910, H.G. Wells, The History of Mr PollyUncle Jim stopped amazed. His brain did not instantly rise to the new posture of things.

One's attitude or the social or political position one takes towards an issue or another person.

1651, Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan...that is, their Forts, Garrisons, and Guns upon the Frontiers of their Kingdomes; and continuall Spyes upon their neighbours; which is a posture of War.
1912, G.K. Chesterton, A Miscellany of MenBut it is not true, no sane person can call it true, that man as a whole in his general attitude towards the world, in his posture towards death or green fields, towards the weather or the baby, will be wise to cultivate dissatisfaction.

(rare) The position of someone or something relative to another; position; situation.

1661, Thomas Salusbury (translator), Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief Systems of the WorldThe Moon beheld in any posture, in respect of the Sun and us, sheweth us its superficies ... always equally clear.

(intransitive) to put one's body into a posture or series of postures, especially hoping that one will be noticed and admiredIf you're finished posturing in front of the mirror, can I use the bathroom now?
(intransitive) to pretend to have an opinion or a convictionThe politicians couldn't really care less about the issue: they're just posturing for the media.
(transitive) To place in a particular position or attitude; to pose.to posture oneself; to posture a model