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

Carter was born in the tiny town (population well under 1,000) in 1924, and spent part of his childhood living on his family’s farm in nearby Archery before moving to a house in Plains and graduating from the town’s high school, according to a Washington Post obituary. —Sara Dorn, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

The actor, writer and producer passed away on Dec. 19, in Eastland, Texas, according to an obituary published by Lancy Funeral Home. —Gabriela Silva, TVLine, 7 Jan. 2025

In a heartfelt Instagram post, the actress addressed her mother’s transition to her fans and her official obituary. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 4 Jan. 2025

The Chabad-Lubavitch movement published an obituary focusing on the fact that Carter was the first president to publicly light a Hanukkah menorah in 1979, five years into the movement’s push for public displays. —Philissa Cramer, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 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