bereavement

[ bih-reev-muhnt ]

noun

1. a period of mourning after a loss, especially after the death of a loved one:

   The widow had many visitors during her bereavement.

2. a state of intense grief, as after the loss of a loved one; desolation:

   Not all therapists are equipped to treat clients suffering with such debilitating bereavement.

3. deprivation or loss by force (usually followed by of ):

   The bereavement of our community began with the closing of the mill.

bereavement

/ bɪˈriːvmənt /

noun

1. the condition of having been deprived of something or someone valued, esp through death
2. a death

Word History and Origins

Origin of bereavement¹

First recorded in 1725–1735; bereave + -ment

Example Sentences

Some teenagers spoke to BBC News NI about their experience of bereavement at an event run for schools by the Marie Curie charity.

From BBC

Laura Howard, mum to "cheeky and feisty" Tomos, four, said receiving his diagnosis after he was born felt "very much like a bereavement situation".

From BBC

It would guarantee new rights for workers from the first day of their employment including: sick pay, protection from unfair dismissal, parental and bereavement leave.

From BBC

Conflict-related bereavement affects people and societies in many ways, ranging from economic insecurity, interruptions in education, and faltering social safety nets.

From Salon

He said he had been “totally frustrated” with attempts to contact Apple, comparing his experience with other companies that offered a dedicated bereavement service to get Lynn’s affairs in order.

From BBC

Related Words

• sorrow

More About Bereavement

What does bereavement mean?

Bereavement is a period of mourning or or state of intense grief, especially following the death of a loved one.

Bereavement is often a process that includes going through several stages of grief. Bereavement can also be used more generally to mean the state of having lost something very dear.

Example: While on bereavement leave from work, Jenn coped with her loss by spending time in nature and talking to a therapist.

Where does bereavement come from?

Bereavement is first recorded in English around the 1730s. It is based on the much older word bereave, meaning “to take away or deprive, especially by death” (it has two past tense and adjective forms: bereaved and bereft). The suffix -ment, which indicates a state, is used to turn it into a noun. Bereave is related to the word reave, which means “to rob.” The word grieve sounds similar but is based on a different root, the Latin word gravāre, meaning “to burden.”

Bereavement is often thought of as the state of having been robbed of a loved one who has been taken away by death. That robbery leaves the heavy burden of grief. There are many different rituals associated with bereavement around the world. Many include a specific amount of time set aside for mourning. Relatedly, the word is sometimes used in the phrase bereavement leave, which is time off from work after a close relative dies. Of course, the intense sadness felt after the loss of a family member or friend doesn’t just expire after a certain amount of time. And it can often be more than just an emotion. Going through bereavement can result in a variety of psychological and even physical symptoms, such as weight loss and insomnia.

A person going through bereavement is often referred to as the bereaved. If this is you, we hope you find peace.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of bereavement?

• bereave (verb)

What are some synonyms for bereavement?

• grieving
• mourning
• lamentation

What are some words that share a root or word element with bereavement? 

 

• bereft
• reave

What are some words that often get used in discussing bereavement?

• grief
• mourn
• death
• loss
• funeral
• leave (of absence)

How is bereavement used in real life?

Bereavement can be used generally to describe a state of loss, but it is most commonly applied to a period of mourning for a loved one.

The MTA only gives their employees a standard THREE DAYS bereavement leave.

THREE DAYS?!

That is barbaric.

— Morgan Jerkins (@MorganJerkins) February 26, 2020

Experienced similarly poor service with banks following bereavement. People die everyday yet banks seem incapable of sympathetic and efficient service and just add to the stress of an already stressful situation. Any banks listening? Improving ur service would be an easy win. https://t.co/YrbBDyOHP5

— Fourth sister (@Six_Sisters) February 26, 2020

Sadly, almost all of us experience bereavement some time in our lives. At the NHS we do our utmost to support people through it. Our Hospital Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care team has produced a booklet to guide loved ones through grief and next steps pic.twitter.com/l0N0vzxUK6

— Croydon Quality Improvement (@CroydonQI) February 26, 2020

 

 

Try using bereavement!

Is bereavement used correctly in the following sentence?

Part of the bereavement process can include changes such as decreased appetite.