posterity

American  

[po-ster-i-tee] / pɒˈstɛr ɪ ti /

noun

1. succeeding or future generations collectively.

   Judgment of this age must be left to posterity.

2. all descendants of one person.

   His fortune was gradually dissipated by his posterity.

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posterity British  

/ pɒˈstɛrɪtɪ /

noun

1. future or succeeding generations

2. all of one's descendants

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Etymology

Origin of posterity

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English posterite, from Old French postérité, from Latin posteritāt-, stem of posteritās, noun derivative of posterus “coming after”; posterior, -ity

Example Sentences

If the well-being of American posterity dictates our policy decisions, fixing this problem should be our first step.

From The Wall Street Journal

Videos on social media and YouTube show people tagging empty storefronts, skateboarding or riding bicycles indoors and urban explorers touring the abandoned spaces for posterity or to look for signs of paranormal activity.

From Los Angeles Times

“It gives us a sense of how Elizabethans recorded music for posterity; how they could relive a musical experience.”

From The Wall Street Journal

A corner of him still leaned toward the hit parade, but his compass pointed not to the jukebox’s quick spin, but to the slow reward of posterity.

From The Wall Street Journal

When Deffand was asked to contribute her letters to Voltaire to a posthumous edition of his correspondence, she refused; she did not want to give posterity “any occasion for myself to be spoken of.”

From The Wall Street Journal