last rites

American

noun

Roman Catholic Church.

anointing of the sick.

last rites British

plural noun

Christianity religious rites prescribed for those close to 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

Etymology

Origin of last rites

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

Today, it’s as though it’s waiting for last rites.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

"Prayers and the last rites were read during his passing," he added.

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2023

Even if you know something about Kennedy’s lifelong health problems, their extent and seriousness are shocking: He was given last rites twice before his last last rites.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2023

On the morning of Sept. 11, while administering last rites to a firefighter, Judge, 68, was struck by falling debris and died.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 11, 2023

Pariah kites dropped into nearby trees, to supervise the supervision of the last rites of the dead elephant.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023