posthumously

American  

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

adverb

1. after a person’s death, typically the death of the author or other artist.

   The sculpture, designed in 1967 by American artist Tony Smith, was exhibited posthumously.

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Etymology

Origin of posthumously

posthumous ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

Posthumously is an adverb that helps describe something that happens to a person after they die, whether it happens to their estate, their life’s work, or the memory of them that remains. The prefix post- means “after,” and the Latin word humus means “ground.” Add the suffix -ly and that lets you use the word to describe some action taken after someone’s dead and in the ground, like posthumously naming a street after a dead politician, or posthumously publishing a new book written by an author who died years ago. The word doesn’t sound how it looks, so pronounce it like this: POSS-chew-muss-lee.

Example Sentences

After Chavez’s death in 1993, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

Two National Guardsmen who were ambushed on duty in Washington received Purple Hearts, one posthumously.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

The “Golden State Killer” was captured in 2018, and she was praised posthumously for raising awareness about the case.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Nigeria's Afrobeat king Fela Kuti will this weekend be posthumously recognised by the Grammys with a Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African artist to receive the distinction.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

Richardson’s results were published posthumously in a book called The Statistics of Deadly Quarrels.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan