postmortem

American  

[pohst-mawr-tuhm] / poʊstˈmɔr təm /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or occurring in the time following death.

2. of or relating to examination of the body after death.

3. occurring after the end of something; after the event.

   a postmortem criticism of a television show.

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adverb

1. after death.

   Pacemakers have to be removed postmortem from bodies that are going to be cremated.

noun

1. Medicine/Medical. a postmortem examination; autopsy.

2. an evaluation or discussion occurring after the end or fact of something.

   to do a postmortem on the decision of a court.

3. Cards. a discussion of the bidding or playing of a previous hand.

postmortem British  

/ pəʊstˈmɔːtəm /

adjective

1. (prenominal) occurring after death

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noun

1. analysis or study of a recently completed event

   a postmortem on a game of chess

2. See postmortem examination

postmortem Cultural  

1. Autopsy; figuratively, any analysis that follows an event: “When the convention is over, we'll have a postmortem to find ways of improving it for next year.” From Latin, meaning “after death.”

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Etymology

Origin of postmortem

First recorded in 1725–35, postmortem is from Latin post mortem “after death”

Explanation

A postmortem is a medical examination of a dead body. It's a kind of autopsy done to learn exactly how the person died. In Latin, mortem is a form of the word for "death," and post means "after." A postmortem, logically enough, is something that happens after death, usually an examination. Another type of postmortem is a meeting or discussion that follows the completion of a project — this kind does not involve an actual death, but simply the end of something, like an art installation or a business venture.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

postmortem

Neville noted that in addition to their annual report, a postmortem survey tracks “how happy people are,” and if they feel the cost was worth it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

That’s the view of Morgan Stanley strategists led by Mike Wilson, who, in a note published Monday, start with a postmortem of the latest pullback.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026

Martha Smith-Higgins, prosecuting, said a postmortem revealed he suffered a hypnoxic brain injury, meaning a lack of oxygen to the brain, as well as a cardiac arrest and bleeding on the brain.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

"In postmortem cortex from neuropathologically confirmed CTE cases with a history of repetitive brain injury, the researchers found evidence of disrupted fatty acid balance and broad transcriptional changes affecting vascular and metabolic pathways," Albayram said.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 26, 2026

The formal identification came last night, the postmortem is today.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Related Words

• autopsy
• dissection