death certificate

American  

noun

death certificates plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• death certificates
  plural

Example Sentences

In her letter, Adichie said that the hospital noted her son's death was from bacterial meningitis, to which she responded: "There was no medical evidence to make such a claim on his death certificate."

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

According to his death certificate, Busch died from hemorrhagic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation after complications from bacterial pneumonia led to sepsis.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

If you were signing the death certificate, how many causes would you put there?

From Slate • May 5, 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

“My father always say she never went past a child in her head,” she said, reaching into her purse for a crumpled copy of Elsie’s death certificate, which she began reading slowly out loud.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot