posthumous

American  

[pos-chuh-muhs, -choo-] / ˈpɒs tʃə məs, -tʃʊ- /

adjective

1. arising, occurring, or continuing after one's death.

   a posthumous award for bravery.

2. published after the death of the author.

   a posthumous novel.

3. born after the death of the father.

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posthumous British  

/ ˈpɒstjʊməs /

adjective

1. happening or continuing after one's death

2. (of a book, etc) published after the author's death

3. (of a child) born after the father's death

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Other Word Forms

• nonposthumous adjective
• posthumously adverb
• posthumousness noun

Etymology

Origin of posthumous

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin postumus “last-born, born after the death of the father” (in form a superlative of posterus; posterior ); post-classical spelling with h by association with humus “ground, earth,” as if referring to burial

Example Sentences

He died last July, just weeks after a farewell concert in his hometown of Birmingham, and the Brits will honour him on Saturday with a posthumous lifetime achievement award.

From BBC

I confess I’m not impervious to the posthumous allure.

From Los Angeles Times

There is no escaping the fact that by watching “Love Story,” we are engaging in a posthumous version of the very same thing.

From Los Angeles Times

Andrew was stripped of his royal titles in October last year, following the publication of Giuffre's posthumous memoir.

From BBC

Most significantly, Flanner reported from the trials at Nuremberg, writing that a group of Nazi prisoners “seem already waxen and posthumous, like museum figures of the members of some nefarious long-ago regime which had failed.”

From The Wall Street Journal