Posthumous - Definition and Overview

Posthumous means after death.

• Posthumous works are those published after the death of the author. There are many examples of famous works published posthumously. Examples include:
  • Discourses by Algernon Sydney
  • The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien
  • The Trial, The Castle, and America by Franz Kafka
• A father's posthumous children are those born after his death. The name Posthumous or Postumus was sometimes given to children born after the death of their father.
  • Posthumous is a character in Shakespeare's poem, The Rape of Lucrece.
• In many cultures, sovereigns are given new names honoring them after death. These names are known as posthumous names.
• Posthumous honors are those bestowed after the death of the person honored. Military honors are sometimes given to persons who have died in combat. In many republics, effigies of heads of state may appear on currency only posthumously. Some awards, such as the Nobel Prize, are famously known for not being able to be awarded posthumously. The Darwin Awards are usually granted posthumously unless the receiver of the award rendered him or herself unable to reproduce.