Definition

1. Noun:
   • A medical procedure involving the thorough inspection and dissection of a deceased body: A postmortem examination is conducted to discover the cause of death or to study the pathological effects of a disease. It is a systematic scientific analysis performed by a pathologist.

Usage

• The term is used formally in medical, legal, and forensic contexts.
• It is often required by law in cases of sudden, unexplained, or suspicious death.
• The procedure aims to gather objective medical evidence.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The cause of the epidemic was unknown until a postmortem examination revealed the presence of a novel virus.
  • A mandatory postmortem examination was ordered by the coroner to determine if foul play was involved.
  • The findings from the postmortem examination were crucial for the medical research study.

Advanced Usage

• "To conduct/perform a postmortem examination": The standard phrasing for carrying out the procedure.
  • The forensic team will perform a postmortem examination at the scene.
• "Subject to a postmortem examination": Describes a body undergoing the procedure.
  • All bodies from the accident were subjected to a postmortem examination.

Variants and Related Words

• Autopsy (n): The most common synonym for postmortem examination.
• Necropsy (n): A term often used specifically for the postmortem examination of animals.
• Post-mortem (n): A common shortened form. It can also be used metaphorically outside of medicine (e.g., a project post-mortem).
• Postmortem (adj): Pertaining to or occurring after death (e.g., postmortem changes).

Synonyms

• Autopsy
• Post-mortem
• Necropsy (for animals)

Related Phrases

• Forensic autopsy: A postmortem examination performed for legal or public health reasons.
• Medical autopsy: A postmortem examination performed to advance medical knowledge, often with family consent.

Noun

1. an examination and dissection of a dead body to determine cause of death or the changes produced by disease