death certificate

noun

: an official document that gives information about a person's death (such as when and how the death happened)

Examples of death certificate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jameson's death certificate stated that the cause of death was undetermined. —Nikki Battiste, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2025

Linda Lavin died of cardiopulmonary arrest with the underlying cause being lung cancer, according to her death certificate obtained by Fox News Digital. —Brie Stimson, Fox News, 29 Jan. 2025

With the arrival of his long-missing father’s death certificate, Blake inherits the rural Oregon house. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025

Johnny and Aaron Matthews spent years haranguing the county just to finally get a redacted copy of their sister’s death certificate in 2018. —Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 26 Jan. 2025

Legal Definition

death certificate

noun

: a document setting forth information (as age, occupation, and place of birth) relating to a dead person and including a doctor's certification of the cause of death

Note: Death certificates are issued by a particular public official, as a city or town clerk. A death certificate is required to document a person's death for certain purposes, as to file an estate tax return or to probate an estate.