English Reference
noun · adjective

posterior

n. · adj.
US /ˌpɔˈstɪɹjɝ/ UK /pɒstˈiəɹɪɐ/ pos·te·ri·or UK spelling posteriors

  1. 01 C1 Advanced HumorousFormal

    n.a polite or funny way to talk about your bottom.

    n.a euphemistic or humorous reference to the human buttocks.

    Simple

    The cyclist complained of a sore posterior after the long mountain ride.

    In context

    The comedian made a self-deprecating joke about his own ample posterior, much to the delight of the audience.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced TechnicalFormal Medicine

    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.

    Simple

    The doctor examined the posterior part of the patient's skull for any bruising.

    In context

    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'.

  3. 03 C2 Proficiency FormalAcademic

    adj.happening later than something else.

    adj.coming after in time or following in a sequence.

    Simple

    The events posterior to the war changed the country's borders forever.

    In context

    The legal team argued that any evidence posterior to the signing of the contract was irrelevant to the current dispute.

  4. 04 C2 Proficiency TechnicalAcademic Math

    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.

    Simple

    The scientist calculated the posterior to see if the new data supported her theory.

    In context

    In Bayesian statistics, the posterior distribution represents the updated belief about a parameter after observing the sample data.


Borrowed from Latin posterior (“that comes or follows after; later, latter”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin posterior
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated