obituary

American  

[oh-bich-oo-er-ee] / oʊˈbɪtʃ uˌɛr i /

noun

plural

obituaries

1. a notice of the death of a person, often with a biographical sketch, as in a newspaper.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or recording a death or deaths.

   the obituary page of a newspaper.

obituary British  

/ əˈbɪtjʊərɪ /

noun

1. a published announcement of a death, often accompanied by a short biography of the dead person

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Other Word Forms

• obituarist noun

Etymology

Origin of obituary

1700–10; < Medieval Latin obituārius, equivalent to Latin obitu ( s ) death ( obit ) + -ārius -ary

Example Sentences

Most of my friends have never had to write an obituary, or file a life insurance claim, or deal with probate court.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

One of those projects translated into the formation of the annual Burning Man festival, the obituary stated.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

“My co-writer Tara told her co-worker about the Oscar nomination, and his reaction was, ‘Wow, this will be in your obituary.’

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

An obituary for Linda Stevenson said she was survived by her daughter, granddaughter, and sister.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

Mom was reading the house obituary in the newspaper and taking the last sips of her coffee before she went to work.

From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos

Related Words

• eulogy
• obit