postmortal
|post-mor-tal|
🇺🇸
/poʊstˈmɔrtəl/
🇬🇧
/pəʊstˈmɔːtəl/
after death
Etymology
'postmortal' originates from Latin elements: the prefix 'post-' (Latin 'post') meaning 'after' and 'mortal' from Latin 'mortalis' meaning 'subject to death'.
'postmortal' was formed in English by combining the Latin-derived prefix 'post-' with 'mortal'. It is analogous to the older term 'postmortem' (Latin 'post mortem', 'after death') and developed as an adjectival compound in modern English usage.
Initially and historically it has meant 'after death' or 'relating to after death'; this core meaning has been retained into modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a postmortem examination, report, or account (rare usage).
The coroner completed a postmortal and released the findings.
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Adjective 1
occurring, done, or relating to events after death; postmortem.
Postmortal bruising can indicate that the injury occurred after death.
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Last updated: 2025/10/03 23:19