posterity
noun
pos·ter·i·ty
pä-ˈster-ə-tē 
1
: the offspring of one progenitor to the furthest generation
2
: all future generations
Examples of posterity in a Sentence
Her broad aim is to reconcile the image of Johnson—the clubbable man, loved by posterity as well as by his contemporaries—and the man racked by disease and tormented by his fear of madness.
—
Frank Kermode, New York Review of Books, 22 June 2006
Posterity looks for hooks to hang old reputations on …
—John Updike, New York Review of Books, 15 July 2004
The restructuring of the New York Yankees began five days after that broken-bat bloop by Luis Gonzalez parachuted to posterity behind second base, clinching the World Series for the Arizona Diamondbacks and breaking the Yankees' run of three titles.
—Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 24-31 Dec. 2001
It was puzzling to own trees—they were not owned the way a business is owned or even a house is owned. If anything, they were held in trust. In trust. Yes, for all of posterity, beginning with Merry and her kids.
—Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
Posterity will remember her as a woman of courage and integrity.
A record of the events was preserved for posterity.
The truth about what happened will be known to posterity.
Frank Kermode, New York Review of Books, 22 June 2006
Posterity looks for hooks to hang old reputations on …
—John Updike, New York Review of Books, 15 July 2004
The restructuring of the New York Yankees began five days after that broken-bat bloop by Luis Gonzalez parachuted to posterity behind second base, clinching the World Series for the Arizona Diamondbacks and breaking the Yankees' run of three titles.
—Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 24-31 Dec. 2001
It was puzzling to own trees—they were not owned the way a business is owned or even a house is owned. If anything, they were held in trust. In trust. Yes, for all of posterity, beginning with Merry and her kids.
—Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
Posterity will remember her as a woman of courage and integrity.
A record of the events was preserved for posterity.
The truth about what happened will be known to posterity.
Recent Examples on the Web
The change to the official transcript drew objections from the stenographers who are charged with documenting the president’s remarks for posterity, the Associated Press reported, citing two government officials and an internal email obtained by the news agency.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
Watching in horror as the city made plans to bury the buried and raze the tombstones, Trinity in late 1897 sent John Watson, a sexton of the nearby St. John’s Chapel, to record information from the cemetery’s headstones for posterity.
—Christina Ray Stanton, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Oct. 2024
The Quai Branly did not grant her request for access until Beninese officials, who wanted to record the handover for posterity, interceded on her behalf.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2024
The legacies of Lee Miller The horrors of the war in Europe continued, and so did Miller’s work to document them for posterity.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for posterity 
Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
Watching in horror as the city made plans to bury the buried and raze the tombstones, Trinity in late 1897 sent John Watson, a sexton of the nearby St. John’s Chapel, to record information from the cemetery’s headstones for posterity.
—Christina Ray Stanton, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Oct. 2024
The Quai Branly did not grant her request for access until Beninese officials, who wanted to record the handover for posterity, interceded on her behalf.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2024
The legacies of Lee Miller The horrors of the war in Europe continued, and so did Miller’s work to document them for posterity.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for posterity
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'posterity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near posterity
Cite this Entry
“Posterity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/posterity. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
posterity
noun
pos·ter·i·ty
pä-ˈster-ət-ē
1
: the line of individuals descended from one ancestor
2
: all future generations
Legal Definition
posterity
noun
pos·ter·i·ty
pä-ˈster-ə-tē
1
: all of the lineal descendants of a person
2
: all future generations
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