post·mor·tem
ˌpōs(t)-ˈmȯr-təm 
1
: done, occurring, or collected after death
postmortem tissue specimens
2
: following the event
1
2
: an analysis or discussion of an event after it is over
Synonyms
Examples of postmortem in a Sentence
Adjective
postmortem tests on the brain tissue of people who had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease
Noun
A postmortem showed that the man had been poisoned.
Party leaders are conducting a postmortem of the election to try to find out what went wrong.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brian Spegele, WSJ, 22 Dec. 2022
The vertical occipital fasciculus, or VOF, is identified in a postmortem human brain in 1909, but labeled with a different name.
—Jenny Blair, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2015
Another area ripe for new technology is postmortem facial reconstruction, used for identification purposes, which has traditionally been carried out by putting clay on skulls in a process known as forensic art.
—Rachel Pannett, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2020
Beer and his colleagues analyzed postmortem brain tissue from 56 patients in southeastern Germany’s state of Bavaria between 1999 and 2019.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2020
Although treatments for these disorders remain elusive, postmortem brain tissue offers a key resource for unlocking possible solutions.
—Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, 21 Aug. 2019
In addition to studying postmortem tissue, imaging methods like MRIs offer alternative tools for investigating neurological conditions.
—Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, 21 Aug. 2019
Nearby, the researchers also found skulls apparently stuck together with mortar—remnants of one of the towers flanking the tzompantli, where most skulls once exhibited on its posts ended their postmortem journey.
—Lizzie Wade, Science | AAAS, 21 June 2018
Last year, Jeff Iliff, a neuroscientist at Oregon Health & Science University, and several colleagues examined postmortem tissue from 79 human brains.
—The Washington Post, The Denver Post, 21 May 2017
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2023
The work group that later performed an independent postmortem on the development of the test, using information provided by the CDC, came to the same conclusions.
—Sam Whitehead, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2023
Meanwhile, a technician located a postmortem kit—a pre-packed container full of supplies for when a patient dies.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2023
The postmortem spin has been that getting two bills—one focused on crypto-market-structure oversight, the other on stablecoins—out of the House Financial Services Committee, with a modicum of bipartisan support, was a major win.
—Byleo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 2 Aug. 2023
The only way to diagnose the disease is through a postmortem autopsy, but even then, determining the exact causes is difficult.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 July 2023
With five universities announcing their departures from the Pac-12 Conference in rapid succession this past Friday, the ensuing days have been filled with emotional postmortems and analytical number-crunching.
—Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Aug. 2023
Even before Sunday’s game, postmortems of this U.S. women’s national team were already being published.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2023
In May three professional soccer players were diagnosed postmortem with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease commonly studied among professional American football athletes and in other high-contact sports.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 July 2023
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Adjective
In recent years, that has appeared in postmortem blood samples of drug users in Europe and the U.S.
—Brian Spegele, WSJ, 22 Dec. 2022
The vertical occipital fasciculus, or VOF, is identified in a postmortem human brain in 1909, but labeled with a different name.
—Jenny Blair, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2015
Another area ripe for new technology is postmortem facial reconstruction, used for identification purposes, which has traditionally been carried out by putting clay on skulls in a process known as forensic art.
—Rachel Pannett, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2020
Beer and his colleagues analyzed postmortem brain tissue from 56 patients in southeastern Germany’s state of Bavaria between 1999 and 2019.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2020
Although treatments for these disorders remain elusive, postmortem brain tissue offers a key resource for unlocking possible solutions.
—Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, 21 Aug. 2019
In addition to studying postmortem tissue, imaging methods like MRIs offer alternative tools for investigating neurological conditions.
—Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, 21 Aug. 2019
Nearby, the researchers also found skulls apparently stuck together with mortar—remnants of one of the towers flanking the tzompantli, where most skulls once exhibited on its posts ended their postmortem journey.
—Lizzie Wade, Science | AAAS, 21 June 2018
Last year, Jeff Iliff, a neuroscientist at Oregon Health & Science University, and several colleagues examined postmortem tissue from 79 human brains.
—The Washington Post, The Denver Post, 21 May 2017
Noun
Reid was among those participating in the postmortems, his interest and engagement growing considerably after his 1998 political near-death experience.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2023
The work group that later performed an independent postmortem on the development of the test, using information provided by the CDC, came to the same conclusions.
—Sam Whitehead, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2023
Meanwhile, a technician located a postmortem kit—a pre-packed container full of supplies for when a patient dies.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2023
The postmortem spin has been that getting two bills—one focused on crypto-market-structure oversight, the other on stablecoins—out of the House Financial Services Committee, with a modicum of bipartisan support, was a major win.
—Byleo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 2 Aug. 2023
The only way to diagnose the disease is through a postmortem autopsy, but even then, determining the exact causes is difficult.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 July 2023
With five universities announcing their departures from the Pac-12 Conference in rapid succession this past Friday, the ensuing days have been filled with emotional postmortems and analytical number-crunching.
—Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Aug. 2023
Even before Sunday’s game, postmortems of this U.S. women’s national team were already being published.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2023
In May three professional soccer players were diagnosed postmortem with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease commonly studied among professional American football athletes and in other high-contact sports.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 July 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'postmortem.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing postmortem
Dictionary Entries Near postmortem
Cite this Entry
“Postmortem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/postmortem. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
postmortem
1 of 2 adjective
post·mor·tem
(ˈ)pōs(t)-ˈmȯrt-əm
: done or occurring after death
postmortem
2 of 2 noun1
: autopsy
2
: an analysis or discussion of an event after it is over
Medical Definition
postmortem
1 of 3 adjective
post·mor·tem
(ˈ)pōst-ˈmȯrt-əm
: done, occurring, or collected after death
postmortem tissue specimens
postmortem
2 of 3 noun
: autopsy
post-mortem
3 of 3 adverb
post-mor·tem
: after death
seven cases examined post-mortem
Legal Definition
post mortem
1 of 2 adjective
post mor·tem
ˌpōst-ˈmȯr-təm
: done, occurring, or collected after death
post mortem
2 of 2 noun
: autopsy
More from Merriam-Webster on postmortem
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about postmortem
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