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bereaved

American  
[bih-reevd] / bɪˈrivd /

adjective

  1. (of a person) greatly saddened at being deprived by death of a loved one.

noun

  1. Usually the bereaved a bereaved person or persons.

    to extend condolences to the bereaved.
bereaved British  
/ bɪˈriːvd /

adjective

  1. having been deprived of something or someone valued, esp through death

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • unbereaved adjective

Etymology

Origin of bereaved

First recorded in 1100–50; Middle English bireved, late Old English birēafod (past participle); bereave, -ed 2

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.

But bereaved parents say often by the time that happens, this record of what their child has been doing online has already been deleted.

From BBC

The Duke of Sussex has thanked bereaved families mounting a legal challenge against two of the world's biggest tech companies for "telling your stories over and over again".

From BBC

"When one Jew is hurt, all Jews feel their pain," he said, adding he was there to "embrace and console the bereaved families".

From BBC

First Minister John Swinney said he was "horrified" by the suffering of bereaved families.

From BBC

The resort's chief executive Tsuneo Kubo expressed his "deepest condolences to the bereaved family" and said safety measures would be strengthened.

From BBC

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.