POSTURE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does posture mean? 

• POSTURE (noun)
  The noun POSTURE has 4 senses:

1. the arrangement of the body and its limbs

2. characteristic way of bearing one's body

3. a rationalized mental attitude

4. capability in terms of personnel and materiel that affect the capacity to fight a war

  Familiarity information: POSTURE used as a noun is uncommon.

• POSTURE (verb)
  The verb POSTURE has 2 senses:

1. behave affectedly or unnaturally in order to impress others

2. assume a posture as for artistic purposes

  Familiarity information: POSTURE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• POSTURE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The arrangement of the body and its limbs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

attitude; position; posture

Context example:

he assumed an attitude of surrender

Hypernyms ("posture" is a kind of...):

bodily property (an attribute of the body)

Attribute:

erect; upright; vertical (upright in position or posture)

unerect (not upright in position or posture)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "posture"):

presentation ((obstetrics) position of the fetus in the uterus relative to the birth canal)

tuck ((sports) a bodily position adopted in some sports (such as diving or skiing) in which the knees are bent and the thighs are drawn close to the chest)

stance (standing posture)

sprawl; sprawling (an ungainly posture with arms and legs spread about)

guard (a posture of defence in boxing or fencing)

asana ((Hinduism) a posture or manner of sitting (as in the practice of yoga))

ectopia (abnormal position of a part or organ (especially at the time of birth))

pose (a posture assumed by models for photographic or artistic purposes)

missionary position (a position for sexual intercourse; a man and woman lie facing each other with the man on top; so-called because missionaries thought it the proper position for primitive peoples)

lotus position (a sitting position with the legs crossed; used in yoga)

lithotomy position (a position lying on your back with knees bent and thighs apart; assumed for vaginal or rectal examination)

eversion (the position of being turned outward)

decubitus (a reclining position (as in a bed))

ballet position (classical position of the body and especially the feet in ballet)

order arms (a position in the manual of arms; the rifle is held vertically on the right side with the butt on the ground; often used as a command)

Derivation:

postural (of or relating to or involving posture)

posture (assume a posture as for artistic purposes)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Characteristic way of bearing one's body

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

bearing; carriage; posture

Context example:

stood with good posture

Hypernyms ("posture" is a kind of...):

bodily property (an attribute of the body)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "posture"):

slouch (a stooping carriage in standing and walking)

gracefulness (beautiful carriage)

awkwardness; clumsiness (the carriage of someone whose movements and posture are ungainly or inelegant)

manner of walking; walk (manner of walking)

Derivation:

postural (of or relating to or involving posture)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A rationalized mental attitude

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

position; posture; stance

Hypernyms ("posture" is a kind of...):

attitude; mental attitude (a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "posture"):

hard line (a firm and uncompromising stance or position)

point of view; stand; standpoint; viewpoint (a mental position from which things are viewed)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Capability in terms of personnel and materiel that affect the capacity to fight a war

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

military capability; military posture; military strength; posture; strength

Context example:

politicians have neglected our military posture

Hypernyms ("posture" is a kind of...):

capability; capableness (the quality of being capable -- physically or intellectually or legally)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "posture"):

sea power (naval strength)

firepower ((military) the relative capacity for delivering fire on a target)

• POSTURE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they posture    ... he / she / it postures   
Past simple: postured   
Past participle: postured   
-ing form: posturing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Behave affectedly or unnaturally in order to impress others

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

pose; posture

Context example:

She postured and made a total fool of herself

Hypernyms (to "posture" is one way to...):

acquit; bear; behave; carry; comport; conduct; deport (behave in a certain manner)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "posture"):

attitudinise; attitudinize (assume certain affected attitudes)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 2

Meaning:

Assume a posture as for artistic purposes

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

model; pose; posture; sit

Context example:

We don't know the woman who posed for Leonardo so often

Hypernyms (to "posture" is one way to...):

display; exhibit; expose (to show, make visible or apparent)

Domain category:

art; artistic creation; artistic production (the creation of beautiful or significant things)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "posture"):

ramp (be rampant)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

posture (the arrangement of the body and its limbs)

 Context examples 

Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-A (BPRS-A) Mannerisms and posturing.

(BPRS-A - Mannerisms and Posturing, NCI Thesaurus)

A persistent attitude or posture due to the co-contraction of agonists and antagonist muscles in one region of the body.

(Dystonia, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

He slipped down from his sitting posture till he lay on the deck.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I then put myself in the most supplicating posture, and spoke in the humblest accent, but received no answer.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

A type of schizophrenia characterized by abnormality of motor behavior which may involve particular forms of stupor, rigidity, excitement or inappropriate posture.

(Catatonic Type Schizophrenia, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

The disease may cause a wide range of symptoms, including: • Changes in alertness and attention • Hallucinations • Problems with movement and posture • Muscle stiffness • Confusion • Loss of memory

(Lewy Body Disease, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Well, Edmund, he continued, returning to the former subject, posture, and voice, as soon as Lady Bertram began to nod again, but this I will maintain, that we shall be doing no harm.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

I should respectfully suggest a recumbent posture, then put yourself in also and call it 'Dolce far niente'.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Then he slipped out of the pack-straps and clumsily dragged himself into a sitting posture.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and to maintain balance and posture.

(Cerebral Palsy, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)