postmortem
Intermediate (B1)
IPA: //poʊstˈmɔːrtəm//
KK: /pəʊstˈmɔːrtəm/
adjective
Definition
Relating to events or examinations that happen after someone has died.
Example
The doctors conducted a postmortem examination to determine the cause of death.
Conversation
Did you hear about the postmortem analysis they did on that famous artist?
Yeah, I read it was really interesting and revealed a lot about his life.
I thought it was fascinating how they can learn so much even after death.
Absolutely! It gives such a different perspective on their work.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
after
subsequent
later
Antonyms
ante
prior
preceding
noun
Definition
A discussion or examination that takes place after an event to analyze what happened and how it could be improved.
Example
After the project was completed, the team held a postmortem to discuss the successes and failures.
Conversation
Did you hear about the meeting we had last week?
Yeah, I did. It was quite a discussion.
I think we should have a postmortem to go over what worked and what didn’t.
Root Explanation
Postmortem → It is formed from "post-" (meaning after) and "mortem" (from Latin "mors", meaning death). The word refers to an examination or analysis conducted after death, often to determine the cause of death.
Memory Tip
Think of 'after' ('post-') and 'death' ('mortem') to remember that a postmortem is an examination that happens after someone has died.
Visually Confused Words
No commonly confused words.