postmortem
1 of 2adjective
post·mor·tem ˌpōs(t)-ˈmȯr-təm 
1
: done, occurring, or collected after death
postmortem tissue specimens
2
: following the event
postmortem
2 of 2noun
1
: autopsy sense 1
2
: an analysis or discussion of an event after it is over
Did you know?
Post mortem is Latin for "after death". In English, postmortem refers to an examination, investigation, or process that takes place after death. A postmortem examination of a body (often simply called a postmortem) is often needed to determine the time and cause of death; the stiffening called rigor mortis is one postmortem change that doctors look at to determine when death occurred. Today we've come to use postmortem to refer to any examination or discussion that takes place after an event.
Synonyms
Adjective
- posthumous
Noun
- autopsy
- necropsy
- postmortem examination
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective postmortem tests on the brain tissue of people who had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease Noun A postmortem showed that the man had been poisoned. Party leaders are conducting a postmortem of the election to try to find out what went wrong.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Pannett, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2020 Beer and his colleagues analyzed postmortem brain tissue from 56 patients in southeastern Germany’s state of Bavaria between 1999 and 2019. Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2020 Although treatments for these disorders remain elusive, postmortem brain tissue offers a key resource for unlocking possible solutions. Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, 21 Aug. 2019 In addition to studying postmortem tissue, imaging methods like MRIs offer alternative tools for investigating neurological conditions. Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, 21 Aug. 2019 Nearby, the researchers also found skulls apparently stuck together with mortar—remnants of one of the towers flanking the tzompantli, where most skulls once exhibited on its posts ended their postmortem journey. Lizzie Wade, Science | AAAS, 21 June 2018 Last year, Jeff Iliff, a neuroscientist at Oregon Health & Science University, and several colleagues examined postmortem tissue from 79 human brains. The Washington Post, The Denver Post, 21 May 2017 Last year, Jeff Iliff, a neuroscientist at Oregon Health & Science University, and several colleagues examined postmortem tissue from 79 human brains. David Kohn, Washington Post, 21 May 2017 Mark Guarino, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2022 The Cyber Safety Review Board was originally tasked with conducting a postmortem of the massive SolarWinds breach carried out by Russian hackers, but ultimately pivoted to studying the impact of the Log4j flaw. Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 14 July 2022 Patrick said much of the postmortem investigation has shown weaknesses in school infrastructure, given allegations of an exterior door being propped open, then shut, but without automatically locking. Fox News, 21 June 2022 At the conclusion of the first night, Harris went to the refrigerator and poured herself a small glass of white wine before settling in for a brief postmortem chat. Amanda Erickson, Washington Post, 10 June 2022 Those same teammates sit down for a postmortem after every race to go over what was done well and what could be improved, and, yes, to pore through an immense amount of data collected during the competition. Stephanie Cain, Fortune, 29 June 2022 The stand-up hour is likely a first in the world of comedy — a postmortem last joke and testament from a comic who relished defying contention. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 May 2022 After taking audiences through the steps of how such a postmortem is conducted, Mathieu stands up at a press conference and pulls a Colin Powell: His premature conclusions let the airline off the hook. Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 May 2022 She had been stabbed to death and a train had run over her body postmortem, the release said. Melissa Alonso, CNN, 28 Apr. 2022 See More
Adjective
Another area ripe for new technology is postmortem facial reconstruction, used for identification purposes, which has traditionally been carried out by putting clay on skulls in a process known as forensic art. Rachel Pannett, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2020 Beer and his colleagues analyzed postmortem brain tissue from 56 patients in southeastern Germany’s state of Bavaria between 1999 and 2019. Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2020 Although treatments for these disorders remain elusive, postmortem brain tissue offers a key resource for unlocking possible solutions. Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, 21 Aug. 2019 In addition to studying postmortem tissue, imaging methods like MRIs offer alternative tools for investigating neurological conditions. Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, 21 Aug. 2019 Nearby, the researchers also found skulls apparently stuck together with mortar—remnants of one of the towers flanking the tzompantli, where most skulls once exhibited on its posts ended their postmortem journey. Lizzie Wade, Science | AAAS, 21 June 2018 Last year, Jeff Iliff, a neuroscientist at Oregon Health & Science University, and several colleagues examined postmortem tissue from 79 human brains. The Washington Post, The Denver Post, 21 May 2017 Last year, Jeff Iliff, a neuroscientist at Oregon Health & Science University, and several colleagues examined postmortem tissue from 79 human brains. David Kohn, Washington Post, 21 May 2017 Noun
Hamza postponed the bail hearing to Sept. 1 due to a technicality with the postmortem report, which was not yet finalized. Mark Guarino, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2022 The Cyber Safety Review Board was originally tasked with conducting a postmortem of the massive SolarWinds breach carried out by Russian hackers, but ultimately pivoted to studying the impact of the Log4j flaw. Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 14 July 2022 Patrick said much of the postmortem investigation has shown weaknesses in school infrastructure, given allegations of an exterior door being propped open, then shut, but without automatically locking. Fox News, 21 June 2022 At the conclusion of the first night, Harris went to the refrigerator and poured herself a small glass of white wine before settling in for a brief postmortem chat. Amanda Erickson, Washington Post, 10 June 2022 Those same teammates sit down for a postmortem after every race to go over what was done well and what could be improved, and, yes, to pore through an immense amount of data collected during the competition. Stephanie Cain, Fortune, 29 June 2022 The stand-up hour is likely a first in the world of comedy — a postmortem last joke and testament from a comic who relished defying contention. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 May 2022 After taking audiences through the steps of how such a postmortem is conducted, Mathieu stands up at a press conference and pulls a Colin Powell: His premature conclusions let the airline off the hook. Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 May 2022 She had been stabbed to death and a train had run over her body postmortem, the release said. Melissa Alonso, CNN, 28 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Latin post mortem after death
First Known Use
Adjective
1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing postmortem
Medical Definition
postmortem 1 of 3
adjective
post·mor·tem (ˈ)pōst-ˈmȯrt-əm
: done, occurring, or collected after death
postmortem tissue specimens
postmortem
2 of 3noun
: autopsy
post-mortem
3 of 3adverb
post-mor·tem
: after death
seven cases examined post-mortem
Legal Definition
post mortem 1 of 2
adjective
post mor·tem
ˌpōst-ˈmȯr-təm
: done, occurring, or collected after death
post mortem
2 of 2noun
: autopsy
postmortems
noun
as in autopsies
examination of a dead body especially to find out the cause of death the postmortem revealed that the cause of death had been an undetected heart defect Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- autopsies
- necropsies
- dissections
- postmortem examinations
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- biopsies
- vivisections