postac

Postać is a Polish noun with several related but distinct meanings centered on form, shape, figure, or character. Its core sense covers the external appearance or embodiment of something, as well as a particular version or arrangement of features. In everyday use, postać can refer to the silhouette or outline of a body, an object, or a landscape; for example, "postać ciała" or "postać skały" describe physical form.

In literary, artistic, and cultural contexts, postać most often means a person or figure presented in a work. It can denote a real person as well as a fictional character, with common phrases such as "postać historyczna" (historical figure) and "postać literacka" (fictional character). The term also appears in theatre and film to refer to a role or character played by an actor.

Beyond appearance and character, postać is used in more formal or technical senses to indicate form or version. In law and administration, the phrase "forma prawna" is more standard, but "postać prawna" may still be encountered to describe the legal status or organizational form of an entity. In science and mathematics, it appears in compounds like "postać ułamkowa" (fractional form) or "postać kanonowa" (canonical form), where it denotes a particular representation or arrangement of data, equations, or structures.

Usage notes: postać is often interchangeable with forma when referring to physical shape or to a general form, but it tends to emphasize embodiment, appearance, or a concrete instance rather than a generic concept. In literature and culture, it remains closely tied to the notion of a figure or character.