defender una postura
verbCEFR B2
What does “defender una postura” mean in English?
to defend a position
to defend a position (defender una postura ante la crítica — sustaining a stance under counter-argument, actively justifying a view)
Example sentences
Defender una postura ante críticas bien fundamentadas exige argumentos sólidos y apertura al diálogo.
Defending a position against well-grounded criticism requires solid arguments and openness to dialogue.
El ponente defendió con rigor que los resultados eran válidos, a pesar de las dudas planteadas.
The speaker rigorously defended the view that the results were valid, despite the doubts raised.
How to use it
'Defender una postura' (to defend a position/stance) is a multi-word frame, not a single lexical verb. The key structural patterns are: 'defender + noun' (defender una postura, una tesis, una propuesta) and 'defender que + indicative' (defender que la medida es necesaria). It pairs naturally with 'ante + noun' to specify what the position is being defended against: 'defender una postura ante las críticas'. Register: neutral-formal. In debate, it signals that the speaker is maintaining a position under pressure rather than simply stating it for the first time — a crucial distinction from 'sostener' (hold) or 'afirmar' (assert).
Common mistake
Defender una postura implies sustained defence under challenge — it is stronger than 'mantener una postura' (maintain, hold). English speakers often use 'apoyar' (support) or 'respaldar' (back up) where Spanish wants 'defender' when the speaker is under argumentative pressure. Collocates: defender con firmeza, defender ante las críticas, defender una tesis.