obituary
Americannoun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of obituary
1700–10; < Medieval Latin obituārius, equivalent to Latin obitu ( s ) death ( see obit) + -ārius -ary
Explanation
An obituary is the notice of someone's death. It is placed in the newspaper to alert others to the death. It gives a background about the deceased's life, usually listing survivors and giving funeral information. The noun obituary, which appears in English in the early 18th century, comes from the Latin obīre, where ob- means "toward," and īre, "to go," suggesting a "going toward" one's death. The first obituary as we know it probably appeared shortly after the invention of the printing press and included just the bare facts of the death. In 19th-century England, the announcements became more elaborate, and photos were added in the 20th century, making the modern obituary more like an elaborate eulogy.
Vocabulary lists containing obituary
Seedfolks
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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The Westing Game
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Having walked off her late-night show rather than fire Ava in Season 4, she is determined to rewrite her premature obituary by playing Madison Square Garden.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
Gov. Bill Clements, the first Republican elected to statewide office in Texas since Reconstruction, appointed him to the Trinity River Authority, according to his obituary.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
“Most obituaries are written in haste with the help of a funeral director,” said James R. Hagerty, a longtime obituary writer for the Wall Street Journal.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
His obituary remembered Grillmair as "an avid pilot, flying small aircraft and gliders that he owned and maintained at his home; he would cheerfully accept requests to fly with him".
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
He had even poked around online to see if he could find an obituary, so he could get a full name and maybe some hint about how she could be helped.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
