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posterity definition

pos·ter·ity (päs ter′ə tē)

noun

  1. all of a person's descendants
  2. all succeeding generations

Etymology: ME posterite < MFr postérité < L posteritas < posterus: see posterior

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

posterity Synonyms

posterity

n.

progeny, descendants, seed, breed, children, issue, heirs, rising generation, new generation, younger generation, successors, lineage, future time; see also family 1, offspring.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

posterity Usage Examples

Converse of subject

  • judge: We may forgive posterity for the paucity of information left to us, but we ourselves shall not be judged so lightly by posterity.

Converse of object

  • leave: Leaving no posterity, ' Twas not their infirmity, It was married chastity.

Adjective modifier

  • future: Burns, then, clearly did his bit to preserve Scotland's heritage, not to mention language, for future posterity.

Modifies a noun

  • record: Posterity records only one example of a politician escaping with some credibility intact.
posterity usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

posterity quotes

'We are always doing,'says he,'something for Posterity, but I would fain see Posterity do something for us.'

-Addison,Joseph

People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors.

-Burke, Edmund

C'est l'actuel qui compte. Invoquer sa poste¤  rite¤  , c'est faire un discours aux asticots. It isthepresentthatcounts.To invoke one'sposterity isto make a speech to maggots.

-Destouches

posterity quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"posterity." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/posterity>

APA Style

posterity. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/posterity

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