obituary

American  

[oh-bich-oo-er-ee] / oʊˈbɪtʃ uˌɛr i /

noun

plural

obituaries

1. a notice of the death of a person, often with a biographical sketch, as in a newspaper.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or recording a death or deaths.

   the obituary page of a newspaper.

obituary British  

/ əˈbɪtjʊərɪ /

noun

1. a published announcement of a death, often accompanied by a short biography of the dead person

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Other Word Forms

• obituarist noun

Etymology

Origin of obituary

1700–10; < Medieval Latin obituārius, equivalent to Latin obitu ( s ) death ( obit ) + -ārius -ary

Example Sentences

James R. Hagerty, known as Bob, is based in Pittsburgh and writes obituaries and other feature stories for The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal

This calculation takes into account obituaries that cite 2025 as the year of death or burial, but we have not yet fully processed or cross-checked.

From BBC

An obituary for Linda Stevenson said she was survived by her daughter, granddaughter, and sister.

From BBC

“Well, someone has to do the first draft of my obituary,” Jack deadpanned.

From The Wall Street Journal

When George Templeton Strong, a prominent Wall Street attorney, died at 55 in 1875, the New York Tribune’s obituary dutifully listed his gentlemanly contributions to the cultural life of his city.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• eulogy
• obit