Meanings
adjectiveposthumous (not comparable)
alternative post-humous · alternative archaic postumous
- not comparableAfter the death of someone.
The most favorable posthumous history the stay-at-home traitor can hope for is—oblivion.
1885, Ulysses S. Grant, “Chapter IV”, in The Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, New York, United States: Charles L. Webster & Co., page 68 - not comparableTaking place after one's own death.
Artists obscure during their life often receive posthumous recognition, too late for them to enjoy.
- not comparableIn reference to a work, published after the author's death.
His memoirs were his posthumous revenge on enemies he dared not take on alive.
1 more example
Eight posthumous albums have been released to date – two more than the man managed in his lifetime – often with conspiracy-baiting titles such as Still I Rise and Tupac Resurrection.
2012 April 17, Alex Macpherson, “Tupac's hologram reflects another milestone in his mythology”, in The Guardian - not comparableoriginallyBorn after the death of one's father.
Posthumous orphans never even knew their fathers.
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
adjectiveoccurring or coming into existence after a person's death
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian посмъртен
- посмъртен (posmărten)taking place after one's death
Catalan pòstum, pòstum
- pòstumtaking place after one's death
- pòstumin reference to a work, published after the author's death
- pòstumborn after one's father's death
Chinese Mandarin 死後發表的 /死后发表的, 死後出版的 /死后出版的
- 死後發表的 /死后发表的in reference to a work, published after the author's death
- 死後出版的 /死后出版的 (sǐhòu fābiǎo de)in reference to a work, published after the author's death
- 遺腹 /遗腹 (yífù)born after one's father's death
Czech posmrtný
- posmrtnýtaking place after one's death
Danish posthum, posthum
- posthumtaking place after one's death
- posthumin reference to a work, published after the author's death
Dutch posthuum, postuum
- posthuumtaking place after one's death
- postuumtaking place after one's death
- posthuumin reference to a work, published after the author's death
- postuumin reference to a work, published after the author's death
- posthuumborn after one's father's death
- postuumborn after one's father's death
Esperanto postmorta
- postmortataking place after one's death
Finnish kuolemanjälkeinen, postuumi
- kuolemanjälkeinentaking place after one's death
- postuumitaking place after one's death
- postuumiin reference to a work, published after the author's death
- postuumiborn after one's father's death
French posthume, posthume
- posthumetaking place after one's death
- posthumein reference to a work, published after the author's death
German postum, posthum
- postumtaking place after one's death
- posthumtaking place after one's death
- postumin reference to a work, published after the author's death
- posthumin reference to a work, published after the author's death
Greek μεταθανάτιος, μεταθανάτιος
- μεταθανάτιος (metathanátios)taking place after one's death
- μεταθανάτιος (metathanátios)in reference to a work, published after the author's death
- οψιγενής (opsigenís)born after one's father's death
- κοιλάρφανος (koilárfanos)born after one's father's death
Hindi मरणोत्तर, मरणोपरांत
- मरणोत्तर (marṇottar)taking place after one's death
- मरणोपरांत (marṇoprānt)in reference to a work, published after the author's death
Hungarian posztumusz, utószülött
- posztumuszin reference to a work, published after the author's death
- utószülöttborn after one's father's death
Indonesian anumerta
- anumertataking place after one's death
Irish iarbháis
- iarbháistaking place after one's death
Italian postumo, postumo
- postumotaking place after one's death
- postumoin reference to a work, published after the author's death
Māori murimate
- murimatetaking place after one's death
Polish pośmiertny, pośmiertny
- pośmiertnytaking place after one's death
- pośmiertnyin reference to a work, published after the author's death
Portuguese póstumo, póstumo
- póstumotaking place after one's death
- póstumoin reference to a work, published after the author's death
- póstumoborn after one's father's death
Russian посме́ртный, посме́ртный
- посме́ртный (posmértnyj)taking place after one's death
- посме́ртный (posmértnyj)in reference to a work, published after the author's death
- посме́ртный (posmértnyj)born after one's father's death
Scottish Gaelic phost-humhain
- phost-humhainin reference to a work, published after the author's death
Spanish póstumo, póstumo
- póstumotaking place after one's death
- póstumoin reference to a work, published after the author's death
- póstumoborn after one's father's death
Swedish postum, postum
- postumtaking place after one's death
- postumin reference to a work, published after the author's death
Ukrainian посме́ртний, посме́ртний
- посме́ртний (posmértnyj)taking place after one's death
- посме́ртний (posmértnyj)in reference to a work, published after the author's death
Vietnamese but see truy tặng
- but see truy tặngtaking place after one's death
Welsh ar ôl marwolaeth, ôl-argraffedig
- ar ôl marwolaethtaking place after one's death
- ôl-argraffedigin reference to a work, published after the author's death
- ôl-anedigborn after one's father's death
Cite this entry
APA
posthumous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/posthumous
MLA
“posthumous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/posthumous. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “posthumous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/posthumous.
Source: posthumous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.