Postmortem

A **postmortem** is a detailed examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death. This can be conducted by a medical professional, such as a pathologist or coroner, and may involve both external and internal inspection, as well as laboratory tests. The primary purpose is to establish the medical cause of death, but it can also uncover information about the circumstances surrounding the death, such as if foul play was involved or if it was due to natural causes. Beyond the medical context, "postmortem" is also used figuratively to describe an analysis or discussion that takes place after an event has concluded, often to determine what went wrong or to learn lessons for the future. It can be utilized to dissect failures or to analyze a completed project.

Postmortem meaning with examples

• The police ordered a postmortem on the victim to determine if the death was accidental or the result of a crime. The detailed analysis was crucial to find the manner of death and potentially discover important clues that might otherwise go unnoticed.
• Following the company's failed product launch, a postmortem revealed significant flaws in their marketing strategy and inadequate testing phases. The CEO implemented changes based on the feedback, changing many aspects of product planning.
• The postmortem examination revealed evidence of a pre-existing heart condition that contributed to the fatal heart attack. The doctors needed to see if there were more specific findings or if this was normal.
• The team held a postmortem after the project's cancellation to analyze the factors that led to the decision. The findings, though disheartening, enabled the company to avoid repeat failures in similar initiatives.