noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK:/pɒˈstɛɹɪti/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛɹəti
rhymes with -ɛɹɪti
CMU ARPABET:P AA0 S T EH1 R AH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
All the future generations, especially the descendants of a specific person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Qualifier: transferred sense; almost always preceded by for; transferred sense; almost always preceded by for
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
all future generations
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: generation
4
noun
Meaning 4
all of the offspring of a given progenitor
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
we must secure the benefits of freedom for ourselves and our posterity
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: descendants
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: biological group
History
Etymology
Late 14th century, from Middle French posterité, from Latin posteritas, from posterus (“following, coming after”), from post (“after”) (English post-).
Across languages
Translations
34 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
gələcək nəsillər
— all the future generations
Belarusian:
пато́мства
(patómstva)
— all the future generations
Bulgarian:
пото́мство
(potómstvo)
— all the future generations
Czech:
potomstvo
— all the future generations
Danish:
eftertid
— all the future generations
Dutch:
nageslacht
— all the future generations
Finnish:
jälkipolvet
— all the future generations
Finnish:
jälkimaailma
— all the future generations
Finnish:
jälkeläiset
— all the future generations
French:
postérité
— all the future generations
German:
Nachwelt
— all the future generations
German:
Nachkommen
— all the future generations
Hungarian:
utókor
— all the future generations
Irish:
síolradh
— all the future generations
Italian:
posteri
— all the future generations
Macedonian:
потомство
(potomstvo)
— all the future generations
Manx:
sluight
— all the future generations
Old English:
æftergenġan
— all the future generations
Persian:
آیندگان
(âyandegân)
— all the future generations
Polish:
potomstwo
— all the future generations
Polish:
progenitura
— all the future generations
Portuguese:
posteridade
— all the future generations
Romanian:
posteritate
— all the future generations
Russian:
пото́мство
(potómstvo)
— all the future generations
Serbo-Croatian:
по̀то̄мство
— all the future generations
Serbo-Croatian:
pòtōmstvo
— all the future generations
Slovak:
potomstvo
— all the future generations
Slovene:
potomstvo
— all the future generations
Spanish:
posteridad
— all the future generations
Swedish:
eftervärlden
— all the future generations
Turkish:
nesil
— all the future generations
Turkish:
soy
— all the future generations
Turkish:
zürriyet
— all the future generations
Ukrainian:
пото́мство
(potómstvo)
— all the future generations
