First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
posterity
noun pos·ter·i·ty \pä-ˈster-ə-tē\
: people in the future
Full Definition of POSTERITY
1
: the offspring of one progenitor to the furthest generation
2
: all future generations
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Examples of POSTERITY
- Her broad aim is to reconcile the image of Johnson—the clubbable man, loved by posterity as well as by his contemporaries—and the man racked by disease and tormented by his fear of madness. —Frank Kermode, New York Review of Books, 22 June 2006
- Posterity looks for hooks to hang old reputations on … —John Updike, New York Review of Books, 15 July 2004
- The restructuring of the New York Yankees began five days after that broken-bat bloop by Luis Gonzalez parachuted to posterity behind second base, clinching the World Series for the Arizona Diamondbacks and breaking the Yankees' run of three titles. —Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 24-31 Dec. 2001
- It was puzzling to own trees—they were not owned the way a business is owned or even a house is owned. If anything, they were held in trust. In trust. Yes, for all of posterity, beginning with Merry and her kids. —Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
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Origin of POSTERITY
Middle English posterite, from Anglo-French pusterité, from Latin posteritat-, posteritas, from posterus coming after
Other Genetics Terms
POSTERITY Defined for Kids
posterity
noun pos·ter·i·ty \pä-ˈster-ə-tē\
Definition of POSTERITY for Kids
: all future generations <She'll be remembered by posterity.>
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