Definition

Noun: 1. All future generations: The people who will exist in the future, considered collectively. 2. All the descendants of a particular person or ancestor: The line of offspring that comes after an individual.

Usage

The word "posterity" is a formal noun used to refer to people in the future, especially when considering the long-term consequences or legacy of present actions. It is often used in contexts related to history, legacy, inheritance, and responsibility.

Examples

• We preserve these documents for posterity.
• He wanted to create a lasting work of art for posterity.
• They fought to secure a better world for posterity.
• His posterity would inherit the estate.

Advanced Usage

• For (the benefit/sake of) posterity: This is the most common phrase, meaning to do something so that future generations will know about it or benefit from it.
  • The time capsule was buried for the benefit of posterity.
• In posterity: Used to describe how someone or something will be viewed or judged by future generations.
  • He hoped to be remembered kindly in posterity.

Variants and Related Words

• Posterior (adjective): Later in time or order; coming after. (Note: This is a different word, often confused due to similar spelling. Its primary meaning relates to position, not descendants).
• Progeny (noun): A formal word for offspring or descendants.
• Descendants (noun): People who are related to you and live after you, such as your children, grandchildren, etc.

Synonyms

• Future generations
• Descendants
• Offspring
• Heirs
• Progeny

Antonyms

• Ancestry
• Forebears
• Ancestors
• Predecessors

Idioms and Phrases

• To go down in history for posterity: To be remembered by future generations.
  • Her brave actions will go down in history for posterity.
• A gift to posterity: Something created or preserved that is intended as a benefit for the future.
  • The national park is a gift to posterity.

Noun

1. all future generations
2. all of the offspring of a given progenitor
   • we must secure the benefits of freedom for ourselves and our posterity