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

The legendary singer-songwriter died from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with kidney failure listed as a contributing factor, according to a death certificate obtained by Fox News Digital. —Lauryn Overhultz , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026

The musician’s death certificate, published Wednesday by the New York Post, also listed kidney failure as a contributing factor. —Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026

The death certificate also states that her body was cremated and her remains were given to her husband. —Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 15 Mar. 2026

His death certificate listed the cause of death as a heart attack. —Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026

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.