French word

postérité

Pronunciation

IPA/pɔsteʁite/

Meaning

  • feminine nounfuture generations

Example

Cette décision aura un impact sur la postérité.

This decision will have an impact on future generations.

Illustration for postérité (future generations)

More examples

Ils pensent à la postérité en planifiant la succession.

They think of posterity when planning the succession.

Core concept

A thread linking what happens now with what later generations inherit or remember.

Similar words

avenir: The future time or period that is yet to come.
générations futures: Future generations of people, including one's descendants.
héritage: Material things, customs, or traditions handed down to descendants.
mémoire: Memories or records retained by individuals or a society.

Definition in French

Désigne les générations qui viendront après nous et, par extension, l'ensemble des conséquences ou de la mémoire que l'on transmet à ces générations.

Word origin

The noun developed from Latin posteritas, formed from posterus, meaning 'later', and the abstract-noun suffix -itas.

Usage tips

  • Postérité is formal or literary, while les générations futures is more usual in everyday speech.

Other meanings

  • descendantsnoun

Word lists with this word