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

Riddle posthumously won a Grammy in 1986, and this is his first nomination since that victory. —Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026

More than 100 former NFL football players have been posthumously diagnosed with CTE, according to the new study, which was published in the Journal of Neurotrauma. —Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026

He was posthumously promoted to the rank of first sergeant, according to the Israeli government. —Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026

Alongside his friend and collaborator Billy Morrison, Osbourne posthumously collects a new hit in his home country of the United Kingdom. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1754, in the meaning defined above