bereavement
noun
be·reave·ment
bi-ˈrēv-mənt 
bē-
Examples of bereavement in a Sentence
The following May, my wife and I flew to London for my father's funeral. Pam, determined to wrangle us an upgrade to business class on the strength of my bereavement, gave the British Airways ticketing clerk two passports and a sob story.
—
John Haney, Gourmet, January 2003
In the sections of her book that should prove an enduring contribution to the literature of grief, Ms. Gilbert recounts her free fall into widowhood, starting with that modern rite of bereavement, the erasing of the answering-machine message.
—James S. Kunen, New York Times Book Review, 19 Mar. 1995
In any case, sadness and loss of interest and drive during periods of bereavement are expected and normal. If Mozart had not been upset by his parents' deaths, his wife's illnesses, and his separations from her, he would be less than human.
—William A. Frosch, Musical Quarterly, 1990
a period of grief after bereavement
people who have recently suffered bereavements
John Haney, Gourmet, January 2003
In the sections of her book that should prove an enduring contribution to the literature of grief, Ms. Gilbert recounts her free fall into widowhood, starting with that modern rite of bereavement, the erasing of the answering-machine message.
—James S. Kunen, New York Times Book Review, 19 Mar. 1995
In any case, sadness and loss of interest and drive during periods of bereavement are expected and normal. If Mozart had not been upset by his parents' deaths, his wife's illnesses, and his separations from her, he would be less than human.
—William A. Frosch, Musical Quarterly, 1990
a period of grief after bereavement
people who have recently suffered bereavements
Recent Examples on the Web
Blessedly, professional athletes in the 21st century are provided leaves of absence for bereavement and other family matters.
—Steve Buckley, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
Losing a spouse has tremendous consequences for the surviving partner’s physical, mental, and emotional health—which can begin even prior to bereavement, especially for caregiving spouses.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
What triggered my inspiration, sadly, was more bereavements within my family.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 8 Oct. 2024
Delia, who opts to mine the family’s bereavement for her next big multimedia project, is held up for some lighthearted art-world satire.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bereavement 
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Steve Buckley, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
Losing a spouse has tremendous consequences for the surviving partner’s physical, mental, and emotional health—which can begin even prior to bereavement, especially for caregiving spouses.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
What triggered my inspiration, sadly, was more bereavements within my family.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 8 Oct. 2024
Delia, who opts to mine the family’s bereavement for her next big multimedia project, is held up for some lighthearted art-world satire.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bereavement
Dictionary Entries Near bereavement
Cite this Entry
“Bereavement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bereavement. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bereavement
noun
be·reave·ment
bi-ˈrēv-mənt
: the state or fact of being bereaved
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