Word
posterior
Phoneticspos·te·ri·or
US/ˌpɔˈstɪɹjɝ/
UK/pɒstˈiəɹɪɐ/
Definitions
01the buttocks
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Humorous · Formal
n. a polite or funny way to talk about your bottom.
n. a euphemistic or humorous reference to the human buttocks.
Español:trasero
“The cyclist complained of a sore posterior after the long mountain ride.”
“The comedian made a self-deprecating joke about his own ample posterior, much to the delight of the audience.”
02at the back
C1 · Advanced Medicine Technical · Formal
adj. describes something located at or near the back of a body or object.
adj. situated behind or at the rear of a structure; in human anatomy, it refers to the dorsal side.
“The doctor examined the posterior part of the patient's skull for any bruising.”
“The surgeon noted that the lesion was located on the posterior wall of the heart, making the procedure significantly more delicate.”
Usage
In medical contexts, it is the direct opposite of 'anterior'.
Antonyms
03later in time
C2 · Proficiency Formal · Academic
adj. happening later than something else.
adj. coming after in time or following in a sequence.
“The events posterior to the war changed the country's borders forever.”
“The legal team argued that any evidence posterior to the signing of the contract was irrelevant to the current dispute.”
Synonyms
04probability
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Mathematics Technical · Academic
n. the chance that a theory is true based on new information.
n. the revised or updated probability of an event occurring after taking into consideration new evidence.
“The scientist calculated the posterior to see if the new data supported her theory.”
“In Bayesian statistics, the posterior distribution represents the updated belief about a parameter after observing the sample data.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“After each round, the Bayesian Assistant updates its distribution over reward functions using Bayes’ rule: the probability of each reward function after the round (the posterior) is computed based on its probability before the round (the prior) and whether or not it was compatible with the user’s choice (the likelihood).” “Read on for the best seat cushions that I could get my hands, and my posterior, on.” “They also found the posterior auricular muscles, which pull the ear backward, were more active when the sounds came from behind the participant than in front of them.” Etymology
From Latin posterior ('latter, later, following, situated behind'), comparative of posterus ('coming after'), from post ('after'). Introduced to inverse probability by Pierre-Simon Laplace in 1774.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/posterior
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0