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post mortem

post mortem

1 6.0
A meeting after a project or event to discuss what went well and how to improve
  • noun
  • /ˌpoʊst ˈmɔːrtəm/
  • Jargon
translation icon : análisis post mortem
  • During the post mortem, the manager reviewed the team's performance and gathered feedback to enhance future projects.

Examples

  • The post mortem was totally consistent with suicide.

  • Andrew: I like to do post-mortems on my interviews.

    Blog text (1)
  • A debrief: Hold a post mortem.

    Blog text (23)
  • Post-mortem report states the presence of Thallium Nitrate, a heavy metal poison in Aparna's body.

    Blog text (3)
  • That's the other thing I'm doing, West; I'm doing the post-mortem on the way that I explain what MixergyPremium is, just to see if I can do a better job.

    Blog text (1)
  • Based on these post-mortems coming out, if the vote suppression for the right wing was True the Vote, then Mittens' GOTV operation was

    Blog text (1)
  • Sure enough, that judgment came down two days after Human Rights Watch issued a 93-page post-mortem concluding that the tribunal's conduct "reflects a basic lack of understanding of fundamental fair trial principles."

    Academic text (2007)
  • After the project ended, the team held a post mortem to discuss what went well and what could be improved for next time.

  • We need to have a post mortem to analyze the results of the event and figure out how to do better in the future.

Synonyms

debriefing
vspost mortem
  • Formal
26 5.6

A meeting after a task to talk about what happened and how to improve

is used more generally to analyze events beyond immediate task reports
postmortem
vspost mortem
  • Jargon
8 7.1

A discussion to find what went right or wrong after an event

focuses more on assessing outcomes and suggesting improvements
post-mortem
vspost mortem
  • Jargon
3 6.5

A meeting after an event to find what went wrong and how to improve

is the general discussion aimed specifically at learning and improvement
post hoc
vspost mortem
  • Specialized
1 9.1

An analysis done after a study to check unexpected results, not to confirm them

is a planned evaluative discussion aiming for clear lessons and improvement
post-mortem examination
vspost mortem
  • Jargon
5.0

A careful review of a project or incident to learn what went wrong and improve

is a broader discussion used to assess and improve rather than document

How Thorough

investigation
2.9
post mortem
  • Jargon
1 6.0
to debrief
  • Formal
21 6.1
to review
  • Literature
252 2.9
to note
158 1.3

Surface Forms

post mortem singular
post mortems plural

Morphology

post + mortem

The element 'post' (= after) is transparently compositional, but 'mortem' is a Latin element meaning 'death' and is not a common English word; the MWE’s usual use as an event review is a metaphorical extension of the literal 'after death' sense. Because one constituent is non‑transparent to typical B1 learners and the current meaning is a figurative extension rather than a direct composition, the phrase is partially predictable but requires prior exposure.

Etymology

Post mortem comes from Latin: post means 'after' and mortem means 'death'. Just as doctors look at a body after death to find the cause, teams hold a post mortem meeting after a project to learn what went wrong and how to improve.