obituary

noun

obit·​u·​ary ə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce obituary (audio) ō- How to pronounce obituary (audio)
-ˈbi-chə-rē
plural obituaries
Synonyms of obituarynext
: a notice of a person's death usually with a short biographical account
obituarist
ə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwər-ist
ō- How to pronounce obituary (audio)
-ˈbi-chə-rist
noun
obituary adjective

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of obituary in a Sentence

I read her obituary in the newspaper. several obituaries for Herman Melville portrayed him as an obscure, largely forgotten author
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Knoll was Hartford High School's choral director for 40 years and received the Herb Kohl Fellowship for excellent teaching in 1991, according to her obituary. —Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2024 Mosley, 51, had three children and four grandchildren, according to her obituary. —Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2024 Camps-Lacayo is survived by her father, mother, brother and sister, according to the online obituary. —Pilar Arias, Fox News, 28 Oct. 2024 Topics — and formats — include, among many others, letters to a doctor, fantasy therapy sessions, gossipy raccoons, obituaries, graduation speeches and much more. —Lizz Schumer, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for obituary 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin obituārium, noun derivative of Medieval Latin obituārius "of death, recording records or dates of death," from Latin obitu-, stem of obitus "death" + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at obit

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of obituary was in 1703

Dictionary Entries Near obituary

obituarize

obituary

obj

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Cite this Entry

“Obituary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obituary. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

obituary

noun
obit·​u·​ary ə-ˈbich-ə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce obituary (audio)
plural obituaries
: a notice of a person's death (as in a newspaper)
obituary adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on obituary

Nglish: Translation of obituary for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of obituary for Arabic Speakers

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