obituary

noun

obit·​u·​ary ə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwer-ē  ō- 

-ˈbi-chə-rē

plural obituaries

: a notice of a person's death usually with a short biographical account

obituarist

ə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwər-ist

ō- 

-ˈbi-chə-rist

noun

obituary adjective

Synonyms

• necrology
• obit

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

According to her obituary, Lisa Manders worked in the finance industry for over 40 years as a Registered Client Associate, including over 20 years at Merrill Lynch. —Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025

Lisa Manders had worked in the financial industry for over 40 years and loved cooking, traveling and visiting New York City, where she was born in Queens in 1953, according to her obituary. —CBS News, 13 Feb. 2025

Miami Herald 305-376-3619 Miami Herald consumer trends reporter Howard Cohen, a 2017 Media Excellence Awards winner, has covered pop music, theater, health and fitness, obituaries, municipal government, breaking news and general assignment. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2025

Elizabeth Anne Keys’ obituary will give her birth date as Jan. 29, 1992 and the day of her death as Jan. 29, 2025. —Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2025

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

Kids Definition

obituary

noun

obit·​u·​ary ə-ˈbich-ə-ˌwer-ē 

plural obituaries

: a notice of a person's death (as in a newspaper)

obituary adjective