posterior
UK[pɒˈstɪə.ri.ər]US[pɑːˈstɪr.i.ɚ]
adj
located at or near the back of something
adj
coming after in time or order; later
n
the part of the body you sit on; the buttocks
Morpheme Breakdown
post
erior
post
after, behind
erior
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word "posterior" is a direct borrowing from latin, where it is the comparative form of "posterus," meaning "coming after." the latin root "post-" originates from the proto-indo-European pos-, a variant of apo- meaning "off, away," which also evolved to signify temporal or spatial sequence. the suffix "-erior" is a latin comparative marker, similar to "-er" in english. thus, the literal construction "more after" logically evolved to describe something situated behind in space or later in time, and by anatomical euphemism, the rear part of the human body.
Analysis
Structure: post (after, behind) + erior (adjective suffix)
post (latin, preposition/adverb, meaning "after, behind"); erior (latin, comparative adjective suffix)
Examples
the posterior part of the brain is responsible for visual processing.
this event is posterior to the one we discussed yesterday.
he fell and bruised his posterior.