autopsy
C1Formal, Medical, Forensic, Figurative (analysis sense)
Definition
Meaning
A medical examination of a dead body to discover the cause of death.
1. (n.) A detailed critical analysis or assessment of something after it has ended or failed. 2. (v.) To perform such an examination or analysis.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily associated with death and forensic investigation. The figurative sense implies a thorough, often post-mortem, dissection of a problem, event, or project.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, the formal medical/legal term 'post-mortem' (or post-mortem examination) is often used interchangeably with 'autopsy', especially in everyday language. In American English, 'autopsy' is the dominant term.
Connotations
Both terms carry the same serious, medical connotations. 'Autopsy' can sound slightly more clinical or American to a UK listener.
Frequency
'Autopsy' is standard and common in AmE. In BrE, 'post-mortem' is more frequent in general contexts, while 'autopsy' is common in medical, forensic, and news reporting.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to autopsy [a body]to perform an autopsy on [someone/something]an autopsy of [a body/a project]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[to do] a post-mortem on [an event] (figurative)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Figurative: 'The board demanded an autopsy of the failed product launch.'
Academic
Medical/Forensic Science: 'The study analysed autopsy data from 200 cases.'
Everyday
Usually in news or discussion of a death: 'The coroner will perform an autopsy tomorrow.'
Technical
Forensic pathology: 'The autopsy confirmed death by asphyxiation.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The pathologist will autopsy the body this afternoon.
- The remains were autopsied at the local hospital.
American English
- The medical examiner autopsied the victim.
- They haven't autopsied the body yet.
adverb
British English
- The body was examined autopsy-wise. (Rare/Non-standard)
American English
- (No standard adverbial form derived directly from 'autopsy')
adjective
British English
- The autopsy findings were conclusive.
- She reviewed the autopsy report.
American English
- He is an autopsy technician.
- The autopsy evidence was presented in court.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The doctor did an autopsy to find out why the man died.
- An autopsy is a check on a dead body.
- The police ordered an autopsy after the suspicious death.
- The autopsy results showed he had a heart attack.
- A forensic autopsy can reveal details about the time and manner of death.
- After the software failed, the team conducted an autopsy to identify the critical bugs.
- The defence attorney contested the validity of the autopsy report, citing procedural irregularities.
- The literary critic performed a meticulous autopsy on the novel's flawed narrative structure.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Auto (self) + opsis (sight) -> 'seeing for oneself' what caused death.
Conceptual Metaphor
INVESTIGATION IS DISSECTION; FAILURE IS DEATH (in figurative use: dissecting a dead project).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'autopsia' (автопсия), which is a direct cognate but less common in Russian medical contexts than 'вскрытие' or 'патологоанатомическое исследование'. The figurative use is rarer in Russian.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'autopsy' casually for any examination. Incorrect: 'The mechanic did an autopsy on my car.' (Use 'inspection' or 'diagnosis'). Confusing 'autopsy' (after death) with 'biopsy' (sample from living tissue).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'autopsy' used figuratively?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are synonyms. 'Autopsy' is more common in American English and in formal medical contexts globally. 'Post-mortem' (short for post-mortem examination) is more common in British everyday language.
Yes, especially in American English (e.g., 'The body was autopsied'). In British English, 'perform a post-mortem on' is often preferred for the verbal action.
The standard term for an animal autopsy is 'necropsy'. While 'autopsy' is sometimes used, 'necropsy' is the precise technical term in veterinary medicine.
It comes from the Greek 'autopsia', meaning 'seeing with one's own eyes' (auto- 'self' + opsis 'sight'). It entered English in the 17th century with its medical meaning.
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