Definition of postmortemnext
as in posthumous
occurring after one's death postmortem tests on the brain tissue of people who had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease

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postmortem

2 of 2

noun

as in autopsy
examination of a dead body especially to find out the cause of death the postmortem revealed that the cause of death had been an undetected heart defect

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of postmortem
Adjective
Although treatments for these disorders remain elusive, postmortem brain tissue offers a key resource for unlocking possible solutions. — 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
Noun
By the end of that dinner in Poland, the mother Nowaczyk-Basińska talked with came to a very different decision about creating a postmortem avatar of her son. — Lissa Soep, Vox, 17 Oct. 2026 OpenAI enlisted two of its employees and a contractor to put together a postmortem report detailing how the company's models escaped containment, accessed the open internet and breached open-source developer platform Hugging Face. — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for postmortem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for postmortem
Adjective
  • My previous foray into Jewish baseball history had already produced one meaningful discovery — the posthumous identification of one-game major leaguer Monte Pfeiffer as Jewish.
    — Zachary Kranc, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Prompted by Nan’s lament about their father’s empty casket and his own desire for posthumous reconciliation, Jay sets out to find his dad’s underwater remains near the edge of the canyon at Monastery Beach.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • An autopsy revealed that Harding had been shot four times — twice in the head and twice in the torso.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The city Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine exactly how she was killed.
    — Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • In a later video clip posted to his TikTok, Ash could be seen FaceTiming his social media manager, explaining that the group’s paperwork caused the delayed entry.
    — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The delayed flight was one of two crises that Haitian officials faced on Thursday with deportees being returned from the United States.
    — Gérard Maxineau, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Postmortem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/postmortem. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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