posthumously

adverb

post·​hu·​mous·​ly ˈpäs-chə-məs-lē How to pronounce posthumously (audio)
 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 Biden will posthumously award the medal to Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J. And in a nod to bipartisanship, Biden will also give the award to former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a cabinet secretary in the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations. Deepa Shivaram, NPR, 3 May 2024 The other living and deceased recipients included such prominent figures as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, television pioneer Phil Donahue and civil rights activist Medgar Evers, who was honored posthumously. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 May 2024 James Francis Thorpe is being honored posthumously. Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 3 May 2024 The Chilean government posthumously awarded Doug honorary citizenship. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024 Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has included Buffett among its 2024 inductees, honoring the singer posthumously with the musical excellence award. Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 22 Apr. 2024 Jimmy Buffett will be honored posthumously with the musical excellence award, along with MC5, Dionne Warwick and Norman Whitfield. Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024 To honor the milestone, Aaron is being honored posthumously with a statue and a stamp. Lucia Suarez Sang, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2024 Chávez died on April 13, 1993, and in the following year was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States. Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'posthumously.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1754, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of posthumously was in 1754

Dictionary Entries Near posthumously

Cite this Entry

“Posthumously.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/posthumously. Accessed 8 May. 2024.

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