Surgery How Anterior Is Used to Describe Anatomy By Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN linkedin Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She has experience in primary care and hospital medicine. Learn about our editorial process Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Scott Sundick, MD on November 11, 2019 linkedin Scott Sundick, MD, is a board-certified vascular and endovascular surgeon. He currently practices in Westfield, New Jersey. Learn about our Medical Review Board Scott Sundick, MD on November 11, 2019 Print Anterior refers to the front of the human body when used to describe anatomy. The opposite of anterior is posterior, meaning the back of the human body. The term anterior is typically used in combination with other words that describe the location of a body part. For example, the belly button may be described as anterior, mid-abdominal, meaning it is located on the front of the body in the middle of the abdomen. Ariel Skelley / Getty Images Is It Anterior or Posterior? Anterior can be determined by imagining the body sliced in half, from left to right. Everything on the front slice is anterior, the tissue in the back slice is posterior. Posterior is the opposite of anterior and refers to the back of the body. If the body part is not pictured in the Vitruvian man diagram, it is likely a posterior body part. The back of the hand and the sole of the foot are not pictured in the diagram, so they are posterior when described. Anterior is also known as anatomical position, anterior-posterior, and an example is the anterior refers to the front of the body, so the face and abdomen are considered anterior body parts. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit