後こう天てん性せい

こ

う

て

ん

せ

い

Meanings

1

noun

acquired; a posteriori

Refers to traits, conditions, or knowledge gained after birth, as opposed to innate or congenital. Used in medical, biological, and philosophical contexts.

後こう天てん性せい免めん疫えき不ふ全ぜん症しょう候こう群ぐんは

エイズ

の

正せい

式しき

名めい

称しょう

です

。

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is the formal name for AIDS.

後こう天てん性せいの知ち識しきは経けい験けんから得えられる。

A posteriori knowledge is obtained from experience.

Kanji

後behind, back, later
天heavens, sky, imperial
性sex, gender, nature

Related words

先せん天てん性せい
先天性 means 'congenital' or 'innate', the opposite of 後天性.

Opposites

遺い伝でんN2
遺伝 describes traits or conditions passed down genetically from parents, whereas 後天性 describes traits or conditions acquired after birth through environment or experience.
天てん性せい
天性 means a quality one is born with, while 後天性 describes a quality or condition acquired after birth.

Word family

後こう天てん性せい免めん疫えき不ふ全ぜん症しょう候こう群ぐん
acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS

Built from

後こう天てん+性せい

Etymology

Compound of 後天 (kōten, 'after birth') + 性 (-sei, 'nature, property'). The term is a calque from Western medical and philosophical vocabulary.