antemortem

Learned borrowing from Latin ante mortem (“before death”).

antemortem (not comparable)

1. Having occurred or having been inflicted before death.

   Synonyms: anthumous, predeath, prehumous, premortem

   Antonyms: posthumous, postmortem

   Coordinate term: perimortem

   Although the antemortem injuries are severe, they are not the cause of death.

   • 2003, Marianne D. Miliotis, Jeffrey W. Bier, International Handbook of Foodborne Pathogens, page 809:

     Data for the potential human exposure portion of the model include antemortem and postmortem inspection, pneumatic stunning, carcass missplitting, advanced meat recovery systems, and […]

antemortem (not comparable)

1. Having occurred or having been inflicted before death.

   Synonyms: anthumously, prehumously, premortem

   Antonyms: posthumously, postmortem

   Coordinate term: perimortem

   • 1978, BARInternational Series, British Archaeological Reports, →ISBN, page 167:

     These teeth have small pieces of enamel missing from the edges of the crowns, but it was not possible to establish if this had happened antemortem or postmortem.

   • 1985, “Part A: Biological Methods”, in Oil in the Sea: Inputs, Fates, and Effects, Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, →ISBN, “Fish, Seabirds, and Mammals”, “Marine Mammals”, “Spills of Opportunity”, page 194:

     Stranded animals provide useful information on effects of the physiology and, therefore, samples should be collected and analyzed to confirm results of studies done antemortem.

   • 2016, Steven N. Byers, “Chapter 11: Death, Trauma, and the Skeleton”, in Introduction to Forensic Anthropology, 4th edition, Routledge, →ISBN, “Timing of Bone Injury”, “Antemortem Trauma”, page 243:

     Since the process of healing has distinctive characteristics, injuries that occur antemortem usually can be distinguished from those that occur at the time of, or after, death.

• “antemortem”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “antemortem”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.