Posterior comes from the Latin word posterus, meaning "coming after". Posterior is often used as a technical term in biology and medicine to refer to the back side of things, and is the opposite …

POSTERIOR definition: situated behind or at the rear of; hinder (anterior ). See examples of posterior used in a sentence.

3 days ago · Anterior refers to the ‘front’, and posterior refers to the ‘back’. Putting this in context, the heart is posterior to the sternum because it lies behind it.

POSTERIOR definition: 1. positioned at or towards the back 2. later in time 3. your bottom: . Learn more.

posterior (pɒˈstɪərɪə) adj 1. situated at the back of or behind something 2. coming after or following another in a series

relating to the back or spinal part of the body.

Definition of posterior adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Dec 14, 2025 · Borrowed from Latin posterior (“that comes or follows after; later, latter”).

There are nine meanings listed in OED's entry for the word posterior, four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

The prefix post means “after,” and things that are posterior come after the things in the front. The opposite of posterior is anterior, which refers to the front, usually of body parts.