postmortem

[ pohst-mawr-tuhm ]

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.

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

/ pəʊstˈmɔːtəm /

adjective

1. prenominal occurring after death

noun

1. analysis or study of a recently completed event

   a postmortem on a game of chess

2. See postmortem examination

postmortem

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.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of postmortem¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of postmortem¹

C18: from Latin, literally: after death

Example Sentences

She showed signs of dehydration, “poor diet” and possible neglect, according to the county coroner’s postmortem examination.

From Los Angeles Times

In the endless postmortems about why Kamala Harris lost to Donald Trump, there is a truly stupid narrative that holds that Democrats "ran too far to the left."

From Salon

Cruchaga explained that similar investigations have relied on brain tissues collected postmortem, and therefore only provide information about the later stages of Alzheimer's.

From Science Daily

The disparity between the 2016 polls and the election outcome was a “jarring event” for pollsters, as the American Assn. for Public Opinion Research put it in a postmortem.

From Los Angeles Times

In every losing campaign's postmortem, the analysts insist that the candidate should have gone where he or she did not.

From Salon

Related Words

• posthumous