obituary

noun

obit·u·ary ə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwer-ē

ō-

-ˈbi-chə-rē

plural obituaries

Synonyms of obituary next

: a notice of a person's death usually with a short biographical account

obituarist

ə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwər-ist,

ō-

-ˈbi-chə-rist

noun

obituary adjective

Examples of obituary in a Sentence

I read her obituary in the newspaper. several obituaries for Herman Melville portrayed him as an obscure, largely forgotten author

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

At least, that’s how Meredith told it, and how his obituaries eventually reported it. —

Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026 According to her obituary, her family is holding a celebration of life on May 1. —

Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026 The deaths of at least two people, JPL scientists Hicks and Maiwald, were not revealed in obituaries and could not be verified as of the time of publication. —

Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026 Keno and Anne eventually divorced but remained close, according to his obituary. —

Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for obituary

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin obituārium, noun derivative of Medieval Latin obituārius "of death, recording records or dates of death," from Latin obitu-, stem of obitus "death" + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at obit

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of obituary was in 1703

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Obituary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/obituary. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.

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Kids Definition

obituary

noun

obit·u·ary ə-ˈbich-ə-ˌwer-ē

plural obituaries

: a notice of a person's death (as in a newspaper)

obituary adjective

obituary

noun

Synonyms of obituary

Examples of obituary in a Sentence

Word History

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Kids Definition

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