postsynaptic

adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"postsynaptic" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“postsynaptic” is uncommon English (frequency #67,743 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#67,743
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a synapse, of or pertaining to the neuron that bears receptors for neurotransmitter released into the synaptic cleft by the presynaptic neuron.

Key facts for postsynaptic
PropertyValue
Headwordpostsynaptic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters12
Frequency rank#67,743
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “postsynaptic” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). postsynaptic lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

postsynaptic is uncommon English at frequency #67,743 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In a synapse, of or pertaining to the neuron that bears receptors for neurotransmitter released into the synaptic cleft by the presynaptic neuron.".

No misspelling variants are generated for postsynaptic in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From post- + synaptic. The correct English form is postsynaptic, spelled P-O-S-T-S-Y-N-A-P-T-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a synapse, of or pertaining to the neuron that bears receptors for neurotransmitter released into the synaptic cleft by the presynaptic neuron.

Etymology

From post- + synaptic.

This word in other languages

postsynaptique(Français)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "postsynaptic"?
"postsynaptic" is spelled P-O-S-T-S-Y-N-A-P-T-I-C.
What does "postsynaptic" mean?
As an adjective, "postsynaptic" means: In a synapse, of or pertaining to the neuron that bears receptors for neurotransmitter released into the synaptic cleft by the presynaptic neuron.
What is the origin of the word "postsynaptic"?
From post- + synaptic. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “postsynaptic”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-O-S-T-S-Y-N-A-P-T-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list