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Synonyms

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.

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

"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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Her obituary describes her as the “high school queen” her junior year.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

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

It moved markets because the people trading those stocks recognized their job descriptions in the obituary section.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

Workers lived in substandard housing and were paid terrible wages, according to a Times obituary.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

There was no obituary for Henrietta Lacks, but word of her death reached the Gey lab quickly.

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

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.