Dictionary

posterity en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pɒˈstɛɹɪti/ (UK)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Late 14th century, from Middle French posterité, from Latin posteritas, from posterus (“following, coming after”), from post (“after”) (English post-).

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) All the future generations, especially the descendants of a specific person.
   • That woman foretold and inflicted a singular disease on Sigvard and his posterity till the ninth generation, and several of his descendants are to this day afflicted with it. 1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 252:
   • The original family who had begun to build a palace to rival Nonesuch had died out before they had put up little more than the gateway, so that the actual structure which had come down to posterity retained the secret magic of a promise rather than the overpowering splendour of a great architectural achievement. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 1, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
2. (qualifier:transferred sense; almost always preceded by for; transferred sense; almost always preceded by for, uncountable, usually) Future audiences, future times, future recognition.

Forms

Relateds

post-

Translations (34)

sh по̀то̄мство (all the future generations) · pl progenitura (all the future generations) · fi jälkimaailma (all the future generations) · tr soy (all the future generations) · fa آیندگان (all the future generations) · sh pòtōmstvo (all the future generations) · tr nesil (all the future generations) · es posteridad (all the future generations) · de Nachwelt (all the future generations) · gv sluight (all the future generations) · nl nageslacht (all the future generations) · tr zürriyet (all the future generations) · sv eftervärlden (all the future generations) · fi jälkipolvet (all the future generations) · hu utókor (all the future generations) · cs potomstvo (all the future generations) · uk пото́мство (all the future generations) · ga síolradh (all the future generations) · az gələcək nəsillər (all the future generations) · ro posteritate (all the future generations) · pt posteridade (all the future generations) · sk potomstvo (all the future generations) · da eftertid (all the future generations) · bg пото́мство (all the future generations) · it posteri (all the future generations) · fr postérité (all the future generations) · mk потомство (all the future generations) · pl potomstwo (all the future generations) · ang æftergenġan (all the future generations) · de Nachkommen (all the future generations) · ru пото́мство (all the future generations) · fi jälkeläiset (all the future generations) · sl potomstvo (all the future generations) · be пато́мства (all the future generations)