posing

¹

[ poh-zing ]

noun

1. the act or practice of assuming a particular attitude or stance, especially with the hope of impressing others:

   The new website aims to strip away the pretentious posing of wine connoisseurs, inviting users to “tell us what tastes good to you!”

2. the act or practice of falsely representing oneself:

   Under all his posing as an honest reporter, his real purpose is to defend a barbarous regime.

3. the act of assuming or holding a particular physical position, or of placing someone else in such a position, as for a portrait or photograph:

   She liked to paint women and children, and the natural posing of her subjects is still unsurpassed.

4. the act of putting forward, stating, or suggesting something, as a question, hypothesis, matter for consideration, etc.:

   Classroom strategies like cooperative learning and the posing of open-ended questions can encourage thinking and discussion.

adjective

1. falsely representing oneself, or assuming a particular attitude or stance in the hope of impressing others:

   I don’t fit in—everyone else in that place is a filmmaker, an "edgy" magazine journalist, or a posing hipster.

2. assuming a particular physical position, as for a portrait or photograph:

   I love how real and natural these images are—no posing tourists, just scenic beauty on its own.

posing

²

[ poh-zing ]

adjective

1. baffling, perplexing, or vexing; difficult:

   The command to “love your neighbor as you love yourself” has within it the most posing challenge for you and me—learning to love ourselves.

Other Words From

• pos·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of posing¹

First recorded in 1850–55; pos(e) ¹( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses; pos(e) ¹( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses

Origin of posing²

pos(e) ²( def ) + -ing ²( def )

Example Sentences

Just before the latest conference started, a secret recording showed the chief executive of Azerbaijan's COP29 team, Elnur Soltanov, discussing "investment opportunities" in the state oil and gas company with a man posing as a potential investor.

From BBC

To try to keep young people from becoming addicted to tobacco, Congress took two steps in 2020 to keep minors from posing as adults to buy vaping products online: It barred e-cigarette sites from delivering through the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

The case against Zilke and his associates began that year when an undercover DEA agent posing as a money launderer made contact with Zilke.

From Los Angeles Times

However, windy and dry conditions were forecast to pick up again in the evening and on Tuesday, again posing a hazard.

From Los Angeles Times

On Friday, the court in Derry heard how McMonagle had communicated with a number of online accounts which were run by police officers posing as children.

From BBC

Related Words

• charade
• cloak
• pretext
• semblance
• veneer