posterior

American  

[po-steer-ee-er, poh-] / pɒˈstɪər i ər, poʊ- /

adjective

1. situated behind or at the rear of; hinder (opposed to anterior).

2. coming after in order, as in a series.

3. coming after in time; later; subsequent (sometimes followed byto ).

4. Anatomy, Zoology.

   1. (in quadrupeds) pertaining to or toward the rear or caudal end of the body.

   2. (in humans and other primates) pertaining to or toward the back plane of the body, equivalent to the dorsal surface of quadrupeds.

5. Botany. toward the back and near the main axis, as the upper lip of a flower.

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noun

1. the hinder parts or rump of the body; buttocks.

posterior British  

/ pɒˈstɪərɪə /

adjective

1. situated at the back of or behind something

2. coming after or following another in a series

3. coming after in time

4. zoology (of animals) of or near the hind end

5. botany (of a flower) situated nearest to the main stem

6. anatomy dorsal or towards the spine

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noun

1. the buttocks; rump

2. statistics a posterior probability

Related Words

See back ¹.

Other Word Forms

• posteriorly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of posterior

1525–35; < Latin, comparative of posterus coming after, derivative of post after

Explanation

Use the adjective posterior to describe something that's in the back. It’s often used in anatomy — a posterior cerebral artery supplies blood to the back of the brain, and the tail is on the posterior of a fish. The prefix post means “after,” and things that are posterior come after the things in the front. The opposite of posterior is anterior, which refers to the front, usually of body parts. You can also use the word posterior to jokingly refer to the part of your body that you sit on — your backside. Posterior is also a formal way to say later in time.

Example Sentences

Brown: Posterior chain is everything up and down the backside of your body and the posterior.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2025

Posterior and panuveitis in particular are associated with a poor prognosis and a protracted course of the disease.

From Science Daily • Apr. 25, 2024

Harvey, four, was diagnosed with kidney condition Posterior Urethral Valves and has stage five chronic kidney disease, travelling to Birmingham's Children's Hospital three times a week for dialysis.

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2023

Posterior support is shown for selected key nodes.

From Nature • Jun. 16, 2015

Posterior Limb of the Horse placed in the Position which it should occupy if the Animal Were a Plantigrade: Left Limb, External Surface 89 48.

From Artistic Anatomy of Animals by Cuyer, ?douard

Related Words

• backside
• derriere
• fanny
• rear end
• rump