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

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

And when the next bombshell research report drops, ask yourself: Do I own the companies in the obituary section or the companies writing the eulogy?

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

Doherty began working at Reason in 1994, according to the publication’s obituary, left the company and returned in 2000 at the behest of Nick Gillespie, then editor in chief.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

“I don’t care if the New York Times writes an obituary for me. I just want you to write one,” I told him.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

Related Words

• eulogy
• obit