posterior
/poʊˈstɪɹ.i.ɚ/adjective, noun
posterior is spelled P-O-S-T-E-R-I-O-R: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 2.7 times per million words in written English, the 16,455th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, posterior means “Relating to or denoting presentation of a fetus in which the rear or caudal end is nearest the cervix and emerges first at birth” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in posterior?
| Letters | 9: P-O-S-T-E-R-I-O-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.7 times per million words; the 16,455th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is posterior?
Posterior appears 2.7 times per million words in written English, the 16,455th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce posterior?
- UK /pɒsˈtɪə.ɹi.ə/
- US /poʊˈstɪɹ.i.ɚ/
- US /pɑˈstɪɹ.i.ɚ/
Posterior has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-posterior.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-posterior.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-VCcortex-posterior.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with posterior?
5 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as posterior from its last stressed vowel (/ɪɹiəɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of posterior
- more posterior comparative
- most posterior superlative
- posteriour
- posteriors plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does posterior mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Relating to or denoting presentation of a fetus in which the rear or caudal end is nearest the cervix and emerges first at birth.
- 2
Next to, or facing the main stem or axis.
- 3
Following in order or in time.
noun
- 1
The posterior portions of the human body; especially, the buttocks.
- 2
The probability that a hypothesis is true (calculated by Bayes' theorem).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate posterior?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of posterior: post..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Posterior in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | postérieur , derrière |
| German | hinterer, Rück- , Hintern , später |
| Portuguese | posterior |
| Spanish | trasero, posterior |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does posterior come from?
Borrowed from Latin posterior (“that comes or follows after; later, latter”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).