death certificate

American  

noun

1. a certificate signed by a doctor, giving pertinent identifying information, as age and sex, about a deceased person and certifying the time, place, and cause of death.

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death certificate British  

noun

1. a legal document issued by a qualified medical practitioner certifying the death of a person and stating the cause if known

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Example Sentences

The death certificate for Katherine Elizabeth Hartley, which was obtained by TMZ, includes a field denoting how the injury occurred.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

In most other cases, you would be required to submit a certified copy of the death certificate to a financial institution in order to transfer or deposit inherited funds into your account.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026

She writes a death certificate and, before William has really come to, the couple receives the insurance payout— in Debbie’s preferred medium, cash.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

In addition to the blood clot in her lungs, the death certificate listed rectal cancer as the long-term cause of death.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

The cause of her death, not revealed in the note or in her obituary in the Daily Press, was entered on her death certificate as “dementia praecox.”

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly