post-season
UK[ˈpəʊst ˌsiːzn̩]US[ˈpoʊst ˌsiːzn̩]
adj
Taking place after the regular season of a sport
n
The period of competition taking place after the regular season of a sport
Morpheme Breakdown
post
season
post
after
season
period of the year
Etymology
The word "post-season" is a modern compound formed within English by combining a Latin-derived prefix with a French/Latin-derived noun. The prefix "post-," directly from Latin, has consistently carried the temporal meaning of "after" or "behind." The noun "season" underwent a significant semantic shift from its Latin origin satio ("sowing"), through Old French, to its general meaning of a distinct period or division of the year. In the context of organized sports, "season" became specialized to mean the scheduled period of regular competition. Therefore, "post-season" logically constructs its meaning as the period occurring after the main competitive period, specifically for playoff or championship tournaments.
Analysis
Structure: post (after) + season (period of the year)
- post: From Latin post (adverb and preposition meaning "after, behind"). In English, it functions as a prefix indicating time or sequence.
- season: From Old French seison, from Latin sationem (nominative satio) meaning "a sowing, planting," from the past participle stem of serere "to sow." In English, it functions as a noun meaning a period of the year, especially one marked by particular conditions or activities.
Examples
The team's stellar performance earned them a post-season berth.
Post-season games often draw the largest television audiences.
He was named the Most Valuable Player for his post-season heroics.