Synonyms of necropsy

necropsy

noun

ˈne-ˌkräp-sē 

as in autopsy

examination of a dead body especially to find out the cause of death

a necropsy failed to definitively establish a cause of death

Synonyms & Similar Words

• autopsy
• postmortem
• dissection
• postmortem examination

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• biopsy
• vivisection

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of necropsy

Meanwhile, a necropsy performed on Echo determined that the timber wolf died of natural causes due to a mass that ruptured on her spleen, Emerick said. — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2026

According to EuroNews, Denmark's environmental and nature agency and coastal rescue service worked together to tow the dead whale farther out from the coast, with plans to later transport the carcass to the port town of Grenaa, where experts plan to perform a necropsy. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 26 May 2026

Of 50 cormorants submitted to the lab for necropsies from May 2025 to April 2026, 46 were juvenile, one was an adult and the rest were in a condition too poor to determine. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026

The necropsies also revealed pneumonia and infections from a broad array of pathogens. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026