1. occurring, awarded, or appearing after the death of the originator: "he was awarded a posthumous Military Cross"
▪ (of a child) born after the death of its father:"Newton was the posthumous son of an illiterate yeoman"
Word Originearly 17th century: from Latin postumus ‘last’ (superlative from post ‘after’), in late Latin spelled posth- by association with humus ‘ground’.