back matter

noun

The parts of a book that appear after the main portion of the body text.

“Meronyms: afterword, epilogue, outro, postscript; addendum, appendix, errata, glossary, supplement; index; bibliography; endnotes; author, colophon, postface”

Similar
end matter
Opposite
front matterbody matter
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Meanings

nounback matter (uncountable)

alternative backmatter · alternative back-matter

  1. uncountableThe parts of a book that appear after the main portion of the body text.

    Meronyms: afterword, epilogue, outro, postscript; addendum, appendix, errata, glossary, supplement; index; bibliography; endnotes; author, colophon, postface

    Synonyms: end matter, end matter · Antonyms: front matter

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe parts of a book that appear after the main portion of the body text.

Similar
end matterend matter
Opposite
front matter
Opposite
body matter

More synonyms by meaning

nounwritten matter following the main text of a book

Similar
end matter
Broader
matter
Also see
end matter

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Danish bagtekst
  • bagtekstparts of a book that appear after the text
Dutch nawerk
  • nawerkparts of a book that appear after the text
Finnish jälkiteksti
  • jälkitekstiparts of a book that appear after the text
French posttexte
  • posttexteparts of a book that appear after the text
German Nachspann, Rückenmaterie
  • Nachspannparts of a book that appear after the text
  • Rückenmaterieparts of a book that appear after the text
Icelandic baktexti
  • baktextiparts of a book that appear after the text
Norwegian baktekst, ettertekst
  • baktekstparts of a book that appear after the text
  • ettertekstparts of a book that appear after the text
  • posttekstparts of a book that appear after the text
Portuguese matéria pós-textual, elementos pós-textuais
  • matéria pós-textualparts of a book that appear after the text
  • elementos pós-textuaisparts of a book that appear after the text
  • pós-textoparts of a book that appear after the text
Swedish eftertext
  • eftertextparts of a book that appear after the text
Cite this entry
APA

back matter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20matter

MLA

“back matter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20matter. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “back matter,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20matter.

Source: back matter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.