Meaning & use
autopsy
A medical examination of a corpse to determine the cause of death.
See it in a sentence
The coroner performed an autopsy to confirm that the death was accidental.
Results of the autopsy revealed a previously undiagnosed heart condition.
A note on using this word
Autopsy is also used figuratively for a detailed review of a failure, as in 'an autopsy of the failed project.'
Words with a similar meaning
post-mortem
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “autopsy”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.