postpositive

1 9.9

Placed after the word it describes, often after a noun

adjective
/ˌpoʊstˈpɒzɪtɪv/

Specialized

: pospositivo

In the phrase 'attorney general', the adjective is postpositive because it follows the noun.

Examples

Some English titles, such as 'heir apparent', contain postpositive elements.
The postpositive adjective follows the noun in this sentence.
French frequently uses postpositive adjectives, placing them after the nouns they modify.
She loves the postpositive construction in English grammar.
In some languages, adjectives can be postpositive, appearing after the noun they describe.
The term 'attorney general' is an example of a postpositive phrase in English.
Many descriptive phrases in Latin are postpositive, enhancing the nouns they follow.

Surface Forms

postpositive positive

Morphology

postpositive = positive (semi-transparent) = post + positive

The prefix 'post-' meaning 'after' is clear, but 'positive' does not transparently convey 'placed' or 'position' to an average B1 learner and the term is a technical grammatical label.

Etymology

Postpositive comes from post- meaning 'after' and positive from a root meaning 'placed', as in the common word position. So a postpositive word is put 'after' the word it describes, which is why the adjective in 'attorney general' follows the noun and is called postpositive.