posterior
Americanadjective
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situated behind or at the rear of; hinder (opposed to anterior).
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coming after in order, as in a series.
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coming after in time; later; subsequent (sometimes followed byto ).
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Anatomy, Zoology.
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(in quadrupeds) pertaining to or toward the rear or caudal end of the body.
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(in humans and other primates) pertaining to or toward the back plane of the body, equivalent to the dorsal surface of quadrupeds.
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Botany. toward the back and near the main axis, as the upper lip of a flower.
noun
adjective
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situated at the back of or behind something
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coming after or following another in a series
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coming after in time
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zoology (of animals) of or near the hind end
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botany (of a flower) situated nearest to the main stem
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anatomy dorsal or towards the spine
noun
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the buttocks; rump
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statistics a posterior probability
Synonym Usage
See back 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing posterior
G.1: Principles of Geography (Sources 1–14)
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Animals (Zoology) - Middle School
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #7
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When strength training later in life, more attention must be paid to building strength around the joints, Herbert says, and strengthening the posterior, or back, chain of the body.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2025
As a parent, the first time I saw one of my sons talk out of their posterior on a subject they knew nothing about, I laughed.
From Salon • Oct. 24, 2025
Panel recommendations include transvaginal ultrasound of the posterior compartment, observation of the relative positioning of the uterus and ovaries, and the uterine sliding sign maneuver to improve the detection of endometriosis.
From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2024
The US Ski & Snowboard Team said Shiffrin would continue to be assessed but her anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments "seem intact".
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2024
It’s important that you approach slowly and with caution—and preferably from a posterior angle, where they have little to no vision.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
