posthumous
Americanadjective
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arising, occurring, or continuing after one's death.
a posthumous award for bravery.
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published after the death of the author.
a posthumous novel.
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born after the death of the father.
adjective
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happening or continuing after one's death
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(of a book, etc) published after the author's death
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(of a child) born after the father's death
Other Word Forms
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; see posterior); post-classical spelling with h by association with humus “ground, earth,” as if referring to burial
Explanation
If something happens after someone dies, it is described as posthumous — like the posthumous interest in the music of a singer who died "a nobody." The adjective posthumous comes from Latin — post means "after" and humare, "to bury." (You might also think of humus, which means "dirt" or "earth.") So something that is posthumous happens after a person is dead, like the posthumous discovery that your humble neighbor who lived very modestly was actually a multi-millionaire, or the posthumous publication of a book that the writer finished just before she died.
Vocabulary lists containing posthumous
30 GRE Words Beginning with "P"
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In the Time of the Butterflies
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This Week In Words: November 28–December 4, 2020
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Painters also adopted European conventions emphasizing divine rule in imperial portraits, as in a posthumous one of Akbar with a halo and winged cherubs above him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Rob Reiner has earned a posthumous Emmy Award nomination for his guest role in “The Bear” Season 4.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Yes, you can structure a trust that gives an independent trustee quite a lot of discretion over posthumous distributions.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Steve McMichael, a key member of the Chicago Bears Super Bowl XX champion team, had CTE, a posthumous study shows.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
This argument was much more robust than the mind/matter distinction, and came under systematic attack only in Hume’s posthumous Dialogues.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
