post-traumatic

adjective

post-trau·​mat·​ic ˌpōs(t)-trə-ˈma-tik How to pronounce post-traumatic (audio)
-trȯ-, 
-trau̇-
variants or less commonly posttraumatic
: occurring after or as a result of trauma
post-traumatic seizures
post-traumatic headache

Examples of post-traumatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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During her incarceration, Runa stopped eating and after her release, she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 Research has shown that the therapeutic use of horseback riding can improve balance and coordination in people who have neurological conditions like cerebral palsy, and lessen the symptoms for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. — Ondine Cohane, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Tell me about how storytelling can help with post-traumatic stress. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 And what was very interesting was my post-traumatic stress was not tied to Afghanistan. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for post-traumatic

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary post- + traumatic

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of post-traumatic was in 1872

Rhymes for post-traumatic

See All Rhymes for post-traumatic

Browse Nearby Words

posttranslational
post-traumatic
post-traumatic stress disorder
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Post-traumatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/post-traumatic. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Medical Definition

post-traumatic

adjective
post-trau·​mat·​ic -trə-ˈmat-ik, -trȯ-, -trau̇- How to pronounce post-traumatic (audio)
: occurring after or as a result of trauma
post-traumatic epilepsy
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