a posteriori

adjective

a pos·​te·​ri·​o·​ri ˌä-(ˌ)pō-ˌstir-ē-ˈȯr-ē 

-ˌster-;

ˌā-(ˌ)pä-ˌstir-ē-ˈȯr-ˌī 

-(ˌ)pō-,

-ˈȯr-ē

1

: inductive

an a posteriori argument/judgement/explanation

2

: relating to or derived by reasoning from observed facts

There is, first a distinction between a priori and a posteriori judgments, the first being judgments whose truth can be known independently of experience, the second being judgments whose truth can be known only through experience.

—D. W. Hamlyn

compare a priori

a posteriori adverb

argued/presented a posteriori

Did you know?

A posteriori, Latin for "from the latter", is a term from logic, which usually refers to reasoning that works backward from an effect to its causes. This kind of reasoning can sometimes lead to false conclusions. The fact that sunrise follows the crowing of a rooster, for example, doesn't necessarily mean that the rooster's crowing caused the sun to rise.

Did you know?

A priori and a posteriori are terms that are used especially in logic and philosophy. A priori is from Latin ā priōrī, which means literally, "from what is earlier." A priori knowledge is knowledge that comes from the power of reasoning based on self-evident truths; a priori usually describes lines of reasoning or arguments that proceed from the general to the particular, or from causes to effects. A posteriori is from Latin ā posteriōrī, which means literally, "from what is later." It describes knowledge based solely on experience or personal observation. So, for example, "Every apple is a fruit" is an a priori statement, since it shows simple logical reasoning and isn't a statement of fact about a specific case; "apples are sweet" is a posteriori, as it expresses something the speaker knows from experience.

Examples of a posteriori in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This a posteriori saga gives us a refreshed Raphael, whose psychological acuity feels newly approachable. —Roberta Smith, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2020

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin ā posteriōrī literally, "from what is later"

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1