posthumous
[ pos-chuh-muhs, -choo- ]
/ ˈpɒs tʃə məs, -tʃʊ- /
adjective
arising, occurring, or continuing after one's death: a posthumous award for bravery.
published after the death of the author: a posthumous novel.
born after the death of the father.
QUIZZES
TAKE THIS QUIZ IF A DAZZLING VOCABULARY IS YOUR DESIDERATUM!
Have the Words of the Day from October 19–25, 2020, made an indelible mark on your memory? Take the quiz to find out!
Question 1 of 7
What does “clement” mean?
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; see posterior); post-classical spelling with h by association with humus “ground, earth,” as if referring to burial
OTHER WORDS FROM posthumous
post·hu·mous·ly, adverbpost·hu·mous·ness, nounnon·post·hu·mous, adjectiveWords nearby posthumous
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for posthumous
British Dictionary definitions for posthumous
posthumous
/ (ˈpɒstjʊməs) /
adjective
happening or continuing after one's death
(of a book, etc) published after the author's death
(of a child) born after the father's death
Derived forms of posthumous
posthumously, adverbWord Origin for posthumous
C17: from Latin postumus the last, but modified as though from Latin post after + humus earth, that is, after the burial
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012