antemortem

or an·te-mor·tem, an·te mor·tem

[ an-tee-mawr-tuhm ]

/ ˌæn tiˈmɔr təm /

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adjective, adverb

before death: She made an antemortem confession.In commercial sheep flocks, diagnosis of endometritis is seldom made antemortem, and treatment is generally impractical.

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Origin of antemortem

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1880–85

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use antemortem in a sentence

If we are to be stuffed, we prefer to have it an ante-mortem performance, don't we, little dog?
The Master-Knot of Human Fate|Ellis Meredith
A hush came upon them,53 for it was seen that he was intending to make some kind of an ante-mortem statement.
Whilomville Stories|Stephen Crane
The left cavities may be contracted and empty, or they may contain dark, soft clots or white ante-mortem clots.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I|Various
The dying swan may not sing, but there is no doubt about the ante-mortem Valkyrie song of the whale.
The New North|Agnes Deans Cameron

I then performed a few ante-mortem details, such as writing good-byes to friends.
Confessions of a Neurasthenic|William Taylor Marrs

British Dictionary definitions for antemortem

ante-mortem

adjective, adverb

(esp in legal or medical contexts) before death

Word Origin for ante-mortem

Latin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012