POSTERIOR Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

posterior 1 of 2

adjective

pō-ˈstir-ē-ər

Definition of posterior

as in rear

being at or in the part of something opposite the front part the chapel's posterior location in the church serves to make it a quiet retreat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in subsequent

being, occurring, or carried out at a time after something else artifacts dating from a posterior historical period

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

posterior

2 of 2

noun

pä-ˈstir-ē-ər

as in cheeks

the part of the body upon which someone sits the baseball players were always slapping one another on the posterior

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 posterior

Adjective

The 24-year-old had an MRI on Wednesday morning and the Red Sox received encouraging news, as results showed left posterior elbow inflammation. — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 1 July 2026 Starter Michael Soroka left before the second inning with posterior hip discomfort sustained throwing warm-up pitches. — CBS News, 20 June 2026

Noun

The attached marathon seasons, compressed offseasons and challenging schedules that came with that stature also included generally being relegated to the posterior of the draft. — Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2026 The car’s most eye-catching feature is arguably its tapered posterior. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for posterior

Recent Examples of Synonyms for posterior

Adjective

It's got a set of pedals, as well as a twist-throttle on the right bar, controlling a 750-W nominal, 1,310-W peak, 85-Nm (63-lb-ft) electric motor between the rear wheels.

— Loz Blain October 26, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
One of the workers who was in the rear bay and the driver of the Jeep were taken to a hospital for their injuries.

— DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of rear

Adjective

The Hader trade brought Game 3 starter Robert Gasser and journeyman outfielder Estuery Ruiz, and within a subsequent three-team trade, the Brewers swiped All-Star catcher William Contreras for Ruiz.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Chronic vocal cord issues, and a subsequent surgery, forced him to cancel a long stretch of shows, including a European tour.

— Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of subsequent

Noun

Fort Worth police Officer Buddy Calzada read a letter from Everman Mayor Ray Richardson, who stood in the audience in light blue with tears on his cheeks.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
Lauren Jones, a photographer from Savannah, Georgia, told Glamour that after acne-like rashes appeared on her cheeks, her esthetician instructed her to wash only with cold water and her hands for four weeks.

— Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of cheeks

Noun

Miller’s calculated the percentage chance that all 35 seats in play will go blue or red virtually in real time.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Jeffries will campaign with Johnny Garcia, who’s running a competitive race in one of those seats where Republicans initially expected an easier pickup (after already forcing one longtime Democratic incumbent to retire).

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of seat

Noun

Venice, Vienna, London, then years on the Proffers’ couch in Ann Arbor, then New York, a story ending, eventually, with coat tails, in Stockholm, receiving the Nobel Prize.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
There is nothing truly random about whether a coin comes up heads or tails.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of tail

Noun

Zellers poured the foundation, and Morrison hired fellow ski bums to do the framing, masonry, and tiling.

— Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Carl Sandburg’s 1927 American Songbag featured a whole section of hobo songs presenting the bum as a beau ideal.

— Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of bum

Browse Nearby Words

poster

posterior

posteriorly

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Posterior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/posterior. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of posterior

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes