military posture
1
7.3
- noun
- /ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ˈpɒstʃər/
- Formal
:
postura militar
- As the debt continues to grow, our military posture around the globe is threatened.
- U.S. military posture
- new military posture
Examples
-
A reduction of tension with Tehran would permit a more relaxed and less costly U.S. military posture in the Persian Gulf, which currently is aimed overwhelmingly at Iran.
Academic text (2013) -
Given the similar scale of today's challenges, the Obama administration's choices regarding the future U.S. military posture must be informed by an overarching strategy as ambitious as the one during the first decade of the Cold War.
Academic text (2009) -
Our presence in Afghanistan is going to remain an important part of our overall military posture in Central, South, and East Asia.
Blog text (16) -
Richard Perle argued for a new military posture in which U.S. ground forces would be cut in half.
Academic text (2008) -
Given the sensitivity of the issues involved, several steps should be taken before and during the rollout of any new military posture.
Academic text (2003) -
More than ever, the United States will need to share costs and burdens with allies while still maintaining an active military posture.
Academic text (2010) -
The characteristic neutrality of peacekeeping was replaced by a more assertive military posture.
Academic text (1995) -
Whereas the changes being made to the U.S. military posture in Asia are gradual, those contemplated for Europe are radical and abrupt.
Academic text (2003) -
The conventional view of U.S. policy in the Persian Gulf is that American strategy and military posture are based primarily on ensuring an uninterrupted flow of oil at reasonable prices.
Academic text (2002) -
The government plans to reevaluate its military posture to ensure readiness for potential conflicts.
Synonyms
21
7.7
How ready a military force is to face threats
12
5.5
How strong a country's armed forces are, shown by soldiers, weapons, and readiness
5
4.3
The power of a country's armed forces to fight
How Ready
- Specialized
4
5.3
65
2.7
- Formal
1
7.3
5
4.3
133
1.4
156
5.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the state or stance of a country's armed forces' is directly derived from combining 'military' (relating to armed forces) with 'posture' (a stance, position, or state). This is a straightforward adjectival + noun composition and the extension of 'posture' to describe readiness or stance is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The term military posture joins military (the armed forces) and posture (a body's stance), so you can picture an army's stance, how firm or ready it is. That's why it means a country's overall 'strength' and 'readiness' to fight.