necrology

[ nuh-krol-uh-jee, ne- ]

noun

, plural ne·crol·o·gies.

1. a list of persons who have died within a certain time.
2. a notice of death; obituary.

necrology

/ ˌnɛkrəˈlɒdʒɪkəl; nɛˈkrɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. a list of people recently dead
2. a less common word for obituary

Derived Forms

• necrological, adjective
• neˈcrologist, noun

Other Words From

• nec·ro·log·i·cal [nek-r, uh, -, loj, -i-k, uh, l], necro·logic adjective
• necro·logi·cal·ly adverb
• ne·crolo·gist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of necrology¹

First recorded in 1720–30; necro- + -logy

Example Sentences

How woefully The Post covers necrology news, the dead beat.

From Washington Post

One of the most popular improvements was a necrology, a list of the names of the dead, which began appearing in the third edition.

From Literature

Whitman’s name doesn’t come up in Vanessa Gould’s “Obit,” a documentary about The Times’s necrology team at work.

From New York Times

This week The New York Times Magazine publishes The Lives They Lived, its annual necrology — or “death yearbook,” as Jenna puts it.

From New York Times

In the necrology for the year 1616, the names of Shakespeare and Cervantes stand out.

From New York Times

Related Words

• eulogy
• obit