posterior
Americanadjective
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situated behind or at the rear of; hinder (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
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
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.
"The depression and the anxiety I've had from this stupid decision to try and alter my posterior, it just wasn't worth it," she said.
From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026
Throughout these tasks, researchers recorded the activity of neurons in ACA, ORB, VISp and MOp, with particular attention to the signals traveling along the axons linking prefrontal and posterior areas.
From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2025
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
Research has shown that the premotor and posterior parietal cortices, along with the temporoparietal junction, are active in the brain when we are locating or thinking about ourselves.
From Salon • May 26, 2025
He plumped his large posterior onto the lavatory pan.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
