Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

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.

Last week, families bereaved by the arena attack in 2017 wrote to him saying MI5 had failed them and argued that the proposed law must apply fully to security services.

From BBC

"My God. Very bad news. My condolences to the bereaved family," the president told the BBC.

From BBC

Families bereaved by the Manchester Arena bombing say MI5 failed them and must be fully included in a new law designed to stop cover-ups in public life.

From BBC

"It came from a way of us basically trying survive back then, and has kind of grown from just seeing what's absolutely missing for bereaved families," Ms Jackson said.

From BBC

She campaigns for bereaved parents to be able to access their children's social media after their death.

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.