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
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the hinder parts or rump of the body; buttocks.
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.
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
Dyeing poison frogs, Dendrobates tinctorius, have been shown to tap their posterior toes in response to a range of prey sizes, from small fruit flies to large crickets.
From Science Daily • May 28, 2024
The US Ski & Snowboard Team said Shiffrin would continue to be assessed but her anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments "seem intact".
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2024
It’s important that you approach slowly and with caution—and preferably from a posterior angle, where they have little to no vision.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.