autopsy
autopsy Lexical Profile
autopsy Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A postmortem medical examination and dissection of a corpse to determine the cause of death or the extent of disease or injury.
"The medical examiner conducted a thorough autopsy to determine the exact cause of the patient's sudden passing."
A critical analysis or detailed review of a past event, project, or failure to understand what went wrong.
"Following the unexpected failure of the product launch, the executive team held a comprehensive autopsy of their marketing strategy."
• verb
To perform a postmortem surgical examination on a dead body in order to establish the cause of death.
"The forensic pathologist autopsied the remains at the county morgue before issuing a final report."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse an 'autopsy' (the examination of tissues from a dead body to determine the cause of death) with a 'biopsy' (the removal and examination of tissue from a living body to diagnose disease). Additionally, 'necropsy' is the preferred term in veterinary medicine for animals.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via French or Modern Latin from Ancient Greek 'autopsia' ('seeing with one's own eyes'), formed from 'autos' ('self') and 'opsis' ('sight' or 'view').