posthumously

adverb

post·​hu·​mous·​ly ˈpäs-chə-məs-lē 

also -tə-, 

-tyə-, 

-thə-;

päst-ˈhyü-məs-, 

ˈpōst-, 

-ˈyü-

: after the death of the person in question

a book published posthumously

a medal awarded posthumously

Plath's magnificent Ariel, written mostly during the final months of her life and assembled posthumously by Hughes, takes the notion of confessional poetry to verbal and imaginative extremes.

—Christopher Benfey

Flannery O'Connor united both traditions and is duly, albeit posthumously, celebrated.

—Walker Percy

Examples of posthumously in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The show consists of an interview with a notable subject, and is only released posthumously. —Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026

Simon did receive his Dickin Medal posthumously, and he was buried in the Ilford Animal Cemetery in east London with full military honors. —Anne Ewbank, Popular Science, 18 Feb. 2026

Whitney Houston, Eddie Palmieri and Nigerian Afrobeat music pioneer Fela Kuti were honored posthumously at the Grammy Special Merit Awards Ceremony. —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026

They were posthumously pardoned in 2019. —News Service Of Florida, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1754, in the meaning defined above