posture

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: pos=ture

CIDE DICTIONARY

posture, n. [F., fr. L. positura, fr. ponere, positum, to place. See Position.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Atalanta, the posture of whose limbs was so lively expressed . . . one would have sworn the very picture had run."  [1913 Webster]

  "In most strange postures
  We have seen him set himself."  [1913 Webster]

  "The posture of a poetic figure is a description of his heroes in the performance of such or such an action."  [1913 Webster]
•  Place; position; situation.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]

  "His [man's] noblest posture and station in this world."  [1913 Webster]
•  State or condition, whether of external circumstances, or of internal feeling and will; disposition; mood; as, a posture of defense; the posture of affairs.  [1913 Webster]

  "The several postures of his devout soul."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Attitude; position. See Attitude.

posture, v. t. 

 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.  [1913 Webster]

posture, v. i. 

•  To assume a particular posture or attitude; to contort the body into artificial attitudes, as an acrobat or contortionist; also, to pose.  [1913 Webster]
•  Fig.: To assume a character; as, to posture as a saint.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

posture, n. & v.
--n.
1 the relative position of parts, esp. of the body (in a reclining posture).
2 carriage or bearing (improved by good posture and balance).
3 a mental or spiritual attitude or condition.
4 the condition or state (of affairs etc.) (in more diplomatic postures).
--v.
1 intr. assume a mental or physical attitude, esp. for effect (inclined to strut and posture).
2 tr. pose (a person).

Derivative

postural adj. posturer n.

Etymology

F f. It. postura f. L positura f. ponere posit- place

THESAURUS

posture

acting, action, actions, activity, acts, address, affect, affectation, affectivity, air, appearance, arrangement, array, assumption, attitude, attitudinize, attitudinizing, bearing, bearings, beck, beckon, behavior, behavior pattern, behavioral norm, behavioral science, bluff, bluffing, body language, brow, carriage, case, cast, cast of countenance, charade, cheating, chironomy, circumstance, climate of opinion, color, coloring, common belief, community sentiment, complexion, comportment, conceit, concept, conception, conclusion, condition, conduct, consensus gentium, consideration, countenance, culture pattern, custom, dactylology, deaf-and-dumb alphabet, deception, delusion, demeanor, deportment, disguise, disposition, dissemblance, dissembling, dissimulation, doing, doings, dumb show, emotion, emotivity, estate, estimate, estimation, ethos, eye, facade, face, facial appearance, fakery, faking, false air, false front, false show, falsity, favor, feature, features, feeling, feeling tone, feigning, feint, fix, folkway, footing, format, four-flushing, frame of mind, fraud, front, garb, general belief, gesticulation, gesture, gesture language, gestures, gilt, gloss, goings-on, guise, hand signal, humbug, humbuggery, idea, imposture, impression, jam, judgment, kinesics, layout, lights, lineaments, lines, location, looks, lot, maintien, manner, manners, masquerade, mental attitude, meretriciousness, method, methodology, methods, mien, mind, modality, mode, modus vivendi, mood, motion, motions, movement, movements, moves, mystique, notion, observable behavior, observation, opinion, organization, orientation, ostentation, outlook, outward show, pantomime, pass, pass for, pass off, pattern, peacock, personal judgment, physiognomy, pickle, place, playacting, plight, point of view, poise, popular belief, port, pose, pose for effect, posing, position, practice, praxis, predicament, presence, presumption, pretense, pretension, pretext, prevailing belief, procedure, proceeding, promptness, psychology, public belief, public opinion, quickness, rank, reaction, readiness, representation, seeming, semblance, sentiment, sham, show, show off, shrug, sight, sign language, simulacrum, simulation, sit, situation, social science, speciousness, spot, stance, standing, state, station, status, strike a pose, strike an attitude, style, tactics, theory, thinking, thought, tone, traits, turn, varnish, view, viewpoint, visage, way, way of life, way of thinking, ways, window dressing

ROGET THESAURUS

posture

Circumstance

N circumstance, situation, phase, position, posture, attitude, place, point, terms, regime, footing, standing, status, occasion, juncture, conjunctive, contingency, predicament, emergence, emergency, exigency, crisis, pinch, pass, push, occurrence, turning point, bearings, how the land lies, surroundings, context, environment, location, contingency, dependence (uncertainty), causation, attribution, circumstantial, given, conditional, provisional, critical, modal, contingent, incidental, adventitious, limitative, in the circumstances, under the circumstances, the circumstances, conditions, thus, in such wise, accordingly, that being the case, such being the case, in view of the circumstances, that being so, sith, since, seeing that, as matters stand, as things go, as times go, conditionally, provided, if, in case, if so, if so be, if it be so, depending on circumstances, in certain circumstances, under certain conditions, if it so happen, if it so turn out, in the event of, in such a contingency, in such a case, in such an event, provisionally, unless, without, according to circumstances, according to the occasion, as it may happen, as it may turn out, as it may be, as the case may be, as the wind blows, pro re nata, yet are my sins not those of circumstance.

Situation

N situation, position, locality, locale, status, latitude and longitude, footing, standing, standpoint, post, stage, aspect, attitude, posture, pose, environment, surroundings (location), circumjacence, place, site, station, seat, venue, whereabouts, ground, bearings, spot, topography, geography, chorography, map, situate, situated, local, topical, topographical, in situ, in loco, here and there, passim, hereabouts, thereabouts, whereabouts, in place, here, there, in such and such surroundings, in such and such environs, in such and such entourage, amidst such and such surroundings, amidst such and such environs, amidst such and such entourage.

Form

N form, figure, shape, conformation, configuration, make, formation, frame, construction, cut, set, build, trim, cut of one's jib, stamp, type, cast, mold, fashion, contour, structure, plasmature, feature, lineament, turn, phase, posture, attitude, pose, morphism, isomorphism, forming, formation, figuration, efformation, sculpture, plasmation, formed, plastic, fictile, formative, fluid, plasmic, isomorphous, pleomorphic, protean, changeable.