Words with the prefix post-
post- means “after; behind”, from Latin.
16 examples of the prefix post-
- postwarpost- + waroccurring after a war
- postdatepost- + datemark with a later date
- postgamepost- + gameafter the game ends
- posttestpost- + testtest given after instruction
- postnatalpost- + natalafter birth
- postseasonpost- + seasonafter the regular season
- postponepost- + poneput off to a later time
- postmortempost- + mortemafter death; autopsy
- postscriptpost- + scriptwritten addition after main text
- postoperativepost- + operativeoccurring after surgery
- postmodernpost- + moderncoming after the modern era
- postcolonialpost- + colonialafter the colonial period ends
- posthumouspost- + humusoccurring after one's death
- postdoctoralpost- + doctoralafter earning a doctorate
- postprandialpost- + prandialoccurring after a meal
Also: postgraduate
How post- works
The prefix 'post-' attaches to nouns and adjectives without spelling change, typically forming adjectives or nouns meaning 'after' or 'behind' in time or position. Unlike some prefixes, 'post-' does not assimilate to the following letter, remaining stable across all contexts.
Watch out: The word 'posterior' looks like it contains 'post-' meaningfully, but it derives directly from Latin 'posterior' (comparative of 'posterus'), not from 'post-' added to an English base.
To see prefixes combine with other parts, try the word dissector and root builder, or test yourself in the vocabulary quiz.
Other common prefixes
Questions people ask
What does the prefix post- mean?
post- means “after; behind”. It comes from Latin. The prefix 'post-' attaches to nouns and adjectives without spelling change, typically forming adjectives or nouns meaning 'after' or 'behind' in time or position. Unlike some prefixes, 'post-' does not assimilate to the following letter, remaining stable across all contexts.
What are some examples of words with the prefix post-?
postwar, postdate, postgame, posttest, postnatal, postseason, postpone, postmortem. The full list of 16 examples, with what each one literally means, is above.
Which words look like they have the prefix post- but don’t?
The word 'posterior' looks like it contains 'post-' meaningfully, but it derives directly from Latin 'posterior' (comparative of 'posterus'), not from 'post-' added to an English base.
What is a prefix?
A prefix is a word part added to the front of a base word or root to change its meaning, like un- in unhappy or re- in rewrite. It does not usually change the part of speech.