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Meaning & use

posterior

adjective, noun·Advanced

Last updated

UK/pɒˈstɪəriə/
US/pɑːˈstɪriər/

Meanings

  1. adjectivebefore a nountechnical

    Located at or toward the back of a body part or object.

    Grammar: Used before a noun, often in medical or technical descriptions: the posterior teeth.

    Patterns

    • posterior part of something
    • posterior to something

    The posterior part of the brain controls vision.

    The surgeon made an incision on the posterior side of the leg.

    In insects, the posterior segments form the tail.

  2. nouncountablehumorouseuphemistic

    A person's buttocks, referred to in a polite or slightly humorous way.

    Grammar: Countable; usually singular and often used with 'his', 'her', or 'the'.

    Patterns

    • on one's posterior
    • fall on one's posterior

    He slipped on the ice and landed on his posterior.

    The cushion is designed to support your posterior.

Word forms

pluralposteriors

Common combinations

posterior to
The pituitary gland is posterior to the optic chiasm.
posterior view
The diagram shows a posterior view of the skeleton.
on one's posterior
He spent the afternoon on his posterior, watching TV.

Synonyms and how they differ

rear
Common and neutral for the back part of something; 'posterior' is more technical or humorous.
back
The general everyday word; 'posterior' is used mainly in medical contexts or as a polite term for the buttocks.
hind
Used mainly of animals' back parts; 'posterior' is more formal and can refer to humans.

Opposites

anterior

Word family

posterity noun
Future generations; not related in meaning to 'posterior'.

Commonly confused: posterior or posterity?

posterior vs posterity

'Posterior' means at the back or the buttocks; 'posterity' means all future people. They look similar but are unrelated.

Practice

In medical descriptions, the opposite of 'anterior' is ___.

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