posturing

American  

[pos-cher-ing] / ˈpɒs tʃər ɪŋ /

noun

1. speech or action that is artificial, hypocritical, or calculated to mislead.

   I'm fed up with the reaching-across-the-aisle posturing intended to make politicians seem like they’re working hard for bipartisan reform.

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adjective

1. engaging in or characterized by such speech or behavior.

   He cynically believes that anybody trying to live up to an ideal is either a posturing liar or a simple-minded fool.

Etymology

Origin of posturing

First recorded in 1620–30; postur(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; postur(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

After months of negotiations and public posturing, USC and Notre Dame have failed to reach an agreement to continue their rivalry series.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2014 a Needham & Co. analyst said in an email: “My whole life is about posturing for the Toys R Us IPO.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“The posturing and maneuvering is over. The hay is in the barn. The bricks have been laid. I’d be very surprised if they aren’t talking already.”

From Los Angeles Times

A decade after “Kill Bill,” Hollywood started posturing like it had suddenly invented the feminist action movie.

From Los Angeles Times

"This is one of those negotiations where there's a great deal of posturing on both sides," said Chris Sands, director of the Center for Canadian Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

From BBC

Related Words

• charade
• cloak
• pretext
• semblance
• veneer