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An inscription on a tomb is an epitaph, as is, by extension, anything written as if to be inscribed on a tomb. Probably the earliest surviving epitaphs are those written on ancient Egyptian sarcophagi and coffins. In Elizabethan times, epitaphs became much more common in English. Many of the best known are literary memorials (often deliberately witty) not intended for a tomb. Benjamin Franklin’s epitaph for himself plays on his trade as a printer, hoping that he will “appear once more in a new and more beautiful edition, corrected and amended by the Author.” The 20th-century writer and wit Dorothy Parker’s suggested epitaphs include “I told you I was sick” and “If you can read this, you’re standing too close.”
Examples of epitaph in a Sentence
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
The quote is often cited as an epitaph to Boeing’s golden age.
—John Pacenti, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
For the more than 500 Y Combinator fintech startups that didn’t make it, that may be the most useful epitaph: not that the idea was wrong, but that the calendar was.
—Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2026
That was the takeaway from his interview with Politico, an epitaph for the continent’s migration policy, strategic posture and governing class.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Epitaph.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epitaph. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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epitaph
noun
