posterior

1 of 2

adjective

pos·​te·​ri·​or pō-ˈstir-ē-ər How to pronounce posterior (audio)
pä-
1
: later in time : subsequent
2
: situated behind: such as
a
: caudal
b
of the human body or its parts : dorsal
3
of a plant part : adaxial, superior
posteriorly adverb

posterior

2 of 2

noun

pos·​te·​ri·​or pä-ˈstir-ē-ər How to pronounce posterior (audio)
pō-
: the hinder parts of the body
specifically : buttocks

Did you know?

Posterior comes from the Latin word posterus, meaning "coming after". Posterior is often used as a technical term in biology and medicine to refer to the back side of things, and is the opposite of anterior, which refers to the front side. For example, as more people took up running as a sport, doctors began to see an increase in stress fractures along the posterior as well as the anterior surface of the lower leg bones. In some technical fields, posterior may mean "later". When used as a noun, posterior simply means "buttocks".

Examples of posterior in a Sentence

Adjective the posterior part of the brain the chapel's posterior location in the church serves to make it a quiet retreat Noun The man squeezed his large posterior into the chair. the baseball players were always slapping one another on the posterior
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The primary movers during this lift are the posterior chain muscles, specifically the gluteus maximus (butt muscles), hamstrings, and erector spinae of the lower back (muscles on either side of the spine). Jakob Roze, Health, 5 Dec. 2024 Benefits of Deadlifts: Strengthens the posterior chain (back, glutes, hamstrings) for better posture and power. Fred Sassani, Austin American-Statesman, 15 Nov. 2024
Noun
Use the angle of his posterior to approximate what his pelvis is doing and there’s obviously a difference in the underlying mechanics pre- and post-surgery. Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024 The choreography and puppetry merge in such extraordinary spectacles as a graceful gazelle or a hyena scooting on its posterior. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for posterior 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin, comparative of posterus coming after, from post after — more at post-

First Known Use

Adjective

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of posterior was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near posterior

Cite this Entry

“Posterior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/posterior. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

posterior

1 of 2 adjective
pos·​te·​ri·​or pō-ˈstir-ē-ər How to pronounce posterior (audio)
pä-
1
: later in time : subsequent
2
: located behind or toward the back
posteriorly adverb

posterior

2 of 2 noun
pos·​te·​ri·​or pä-ˈstir-ē-ər How to pronounce posterior (audio)
pō-
: the hind end of the body
especially : buttock sense 2a

Medical Definition

posterior

1 of 2 adjective
pos·​te·​ri·​or pō-ˈstir-ē-ər, pä- How to pronounce posterior (audio)
: situated behind: as
a
: situated at or toward the hind part of the body : caudal
b
: dorsal
used of human anatomy in which the upright posture makes dorsal and caudal identical

posterior

2 of 2 noun
pos·​te·​ri·​or pä-ˈstir-ē-ər, pō- How to pronounce posterior (audio)
: a posterior thing or part: as
a
: the rear end of a quadruped
b

More from Merriam-Webster on posterior

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