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

Nearly 20 years after the original, Busta Rhymes has posthumously collaborated with the late J Dilla to release their joint Dillagence II project. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2026

Keith was regarded as a true legend in the genre, and nonstop streams of many of his most popular tunes have helped the superstar posthumously hold on to a handful of Billboard charts, week after week after week. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

One can imagine the burden of splitting up a valuable estate and the myriad decisions about how to run it posthumously, such as whether to license the name or make reproductions. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026

Finally, the Penguins are inducting Jack McGregor into the Hall of Fame posthumously. — Patrick Damp, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1754, in the meaning defined above