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

Trump posthumously awarded him the Medal of Freedom. —Paris Barraza, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026

Lyttle Bridges was posthumously inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame with a Legacy Award in 2021. —Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026

In 1999, 81 years after the tragic sinking, the crew members of the Tampa were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026

Other artists who were honored included Dolly Parton, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, John Boylan, Leland Sklar, Nicky Hopkins (posthumously) and Flow State collaborators Huff and McDonald. —Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1754, in the meaning defined above