postdoctoral

adjective

post·​doc·​tor·​al ˌpōs(t)-ˈdäk-t(ə-)rəl 

ˈpōst-ˌdäk-

variants or less commonly postdoctorate

ˌpōs(t)-ˈdäk-t(ə-)rət 

ˈpōst-ˌdäk-

: 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

The ongoing research sheds light on a problem that isn’t classified as a disorder but possibly should be, said Silke Müller, a postdoctoral research assistant at the University of Duisburg-Essen and coauthor of the study. — Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 29 July 2026

And neurons, being long-lived, are especially vulnerable to protein clumps, according to the new study’s co-lead author Rishav Mitra, a postdoctoral fellow in Bellono’s lab. — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 29 July 2026

And while the length of postdoctoral appointments is more variable than graduate training, National Science Foundation survey data indicate that about a fifth of postdocs are likely to have worked in that role for more than six years. — Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 28 July 2026

Griffin was formerly a postdoctoral researcher in McPartland’s lab. — Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for postdoctoral

• epidural
• predoctoral
• deferral
• referral
• neral
• squirrel