bereavement

[ bih-reev-muhnt ]
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noun
  1. a period of mourning after a loss, especially after the death of a loved one: The widow had many visitors during her bereavement.

  2. a state of intense grief, as after the loss of a loved one; desolation: Not all therapists are equipped to treat clients suffering with such debilitating bereavement.

  1. deprivation or loss by force (usually followed by of): The bereavement of our community began with the closing of the mill.

Origin of bereavement

1
First recorded in 1725–1735; bereave + -ment

Words Nearby bereavement

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bereavement in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bereavement

bereavement

/ (bɪˈriːvmənt) /


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

  2. a 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