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

Most of my friends have never had to write an obituary, or file a life insurance claim, or deal with probate court.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

Doherty was a native of Queens, N.Y., majored in journalism at the University of Florida and joined the college’s libertarian group in 1987, according to Reason’s obituary.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

“My co-writer Tara told her co-worker about the Oscar nomination, and his reaction was, ‘Wow, this will be in your obituary.’

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

An obituary posted on a funeral home website after Dyer's death said he was "sweet, gentle, quiet, kind and very caring to those he loved".

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

He stood at the mic for a moment, and then began to read the obituary off the program.

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• eulogy
• obit