postoperative

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US/poʊstˈɑpəɹətɪv/UK/pəʊstˈɒpəɹətɪv/

adjective

Of, relating to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation.

“The postoperative procedure is as follows.”

Similar
surgicaloperative
OriginEnglish operative ← Latin post ← Old Latin poste →
Less commonScrabble 20
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Word of the Day · Feb 23, 2025

Meanings

adjectivepostoperative (not comparable)

alternative post-operative

  1. not comparableOf, relating to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation.

    The postoperative procedure is as follows.

    1 more example

    1957, J. D. Salinger, "Zooey", in, 1961, Franny and Zooey, 1991 LB Books edition, page 139, She was looking even paler, more post-operative, as it were, than she had on waking.

nounpostoperative (plural postoperatives)

plural postoperatives · alternative post-operative

  1. A transgender person who has undergone gender reassignment surgery.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivehappening or done after a surgical operation

Similar
surgicaloperative
Also see
operativepost-opsurgical

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pós
  2. Proto-Indo-European*pósti
  3. Proto-Italic*posti
  4. Old Latinposte
  5. Latinpost
  6. Englishpost-
  7. Englishoperative
  8. Englishpostoperative

From post- + operative.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan postoperatori
  • postoperatoriof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
Chinese Mandarin 術後 /术后
  • 術後 /术后 (shùhòu)of, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
Finnish leikkauksen jälkeinen, leikkauksenjälkeinen
  • leikkauksen jälkeinenof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
  • leikkauksenjälkeinenof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
  • postoperatiivinenof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
French postopératoire, post-opératoire
  • postopératoireof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
  • post-opératoireof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
German postoperativ
  • postoperativof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
Greek μετεγχειρητικός
  • μετεγχειρητικός (metencheiritikós)of, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
Hungarian posztoperatív, műtét utáni
  • posztoperatívof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
  • műtét utániof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
Italian postoperatorio
  • postoperatorioof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
Japanese 術後
  • 術後of, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
Polish pooperacyjny
  • pooperacyjnyof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
Portuguese pós-operatório
  • pós-operatórioof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
Romanian postoperatoriu
  • postoperatoriuof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
Spanish posoperatorio
  • posoperatorioof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
Vietnamese hậu phẫu
  • hậu phẫuof, pertaining to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation
Cite this entry
APA

postoperative. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/postoperative

MLA

“postoperative.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/postoperative. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “postoperative,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/postoperative.

Source: postoperative on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.