postdoctoral

adjective

post·​doc·​tor·​al ˌpōs(t)-ˈdäk-t(ə-)rəl How to pronounce postdoctoral (audio)
ˈpōst-ˌdäk-
variants or less commonly postdoctorate
: being beyond the doctoral level:
a
: of or relating to advanced academic or professional work beyond a doctor's degree
a postdoctoral fellowship
b
: engaged in such work
postdoctoral scholars

Examples of postdoctoral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But whereas grants from the NIH could total millions of dollars, many foundation grants come in the tens of thousands, not even enough to sustain a single postdoctoral fellow for a year. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025 Their findings, made by Eric Lutz, PhD, a physics professor and Milton Aguilar, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Stuttgart, show that quantum systems can exceed efficiency limit defined by the Carnot principle. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025 Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, ended up in Texas after a meandering journey through holding facilities in Virginia and Louisiana. Andy Rose, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025 Lily feels out of place in this new world of privilege, but her roommate Hana and a budding romance with Vikram — a charming Indian British postdoctoral student — stir a new sense of belonging. Morgan Radford, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for postdoctoral

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of postdoctoral was in 1929

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Cite this Entry

“Postdoctoral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/postdoctoral. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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