Synonyms

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.

See Examples For:

last rites

After days of searching shelters and mortuaries, relatives of some of the missing lost hope and began conducting last rites.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026

The time has come to read the Phillies their last rites.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2025

They are also trying to build consensus around subjects such as the last rites of repatriated remains.

From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2024

The priest who delivered Holmes’s last rites was found dead on the grounds of his church of mysterious causes.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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