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

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

Another often-neglected fallout of war is the burden of bereavement.

From Salon

In a study published this July, Williams and her colleagues estimated how bereavement burdened — and will continue to burden — 16 populations that have shouldered conflict-related deaths between 1989 and 2023, including in Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and the Palestinian territories.

From Salon

“Regardless of whether we rebuild the bridges or rebuild the buildings, it’s like that bereavement never goes away,” said Williams, who recalls sensing a similar atmosphere of loss during her time in Phnom Penh, where, as she remembers, the trauma of war lurked in collective memory “just barely under the skin.”

From Salon

Related Words

• sorrow