epitaph

noun

ep·​i·​taph ˈe-pə-ˌtaf How to pronounce epitaph (audio)
1
: an inscription on or at a tomb or a grave in memory of the one buried there
2
: a brief statement commemorating or epitomizing a deceased person or something past
epitaphial adjective
epitaphic adjective

Did you know?

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

The epitaph reads “In loving memory of John Gray: husband, father, soldier.”
Recent Examples on the Web The resultant film is a moving, multifaceted masterwork that doubles as a cinematic epitaph to a vibrant (if secretive) young man. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Jan. 2024 Let this piece, originally written when the 2023 show was cancelled in March, serve as our epitaph for an annual industry gathering that grew to be a cultural touchstone in the gaming world. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 12 Dec. 2023 This is the epitaph of most parties, carefully arranged and prepared long in advance—when the edge of spontaneity has been rubbed off and the delicate flower of anticipation has withered with so long an interval between desire and fulfillment. Elsa Maxwell, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2023 With The Marvels’ box-office performance (or lack thereof) prompting a wave of stories about the studio at a crossroads, this feels like a potential epitaph for the company’s first epoch. Vulture, 21 Nov. 2023 His baseball epitaph features plenty of bold type − 2019 World Series MVP, three-time All-Star, a dominating 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2023 As the Spartan epigram suggests, epigram and epitaph are closely related, the latter a species of the former. A.e. Stallings, The New York Review of Books, 17 Aug. 2023 Regulators have barely written the epitaph for First Republic Bank, but investors on Wall Street have already moved on to speculating which bank might be the next to fail. Ken Sweet, BostonGlobe.com, 2 May 2023 Thanks to the persistence of her sister, Shannan Gilbert's terrifying last words would become her epitaph. Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 15 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'epitaph.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English epitaphe, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin epitaphium, from Latin, funeral oration, from Greek epitaphion, from epi- + taphos tomb, funeral

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of epitaph was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near epitaph

Cite this Entry

“Epitaph.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epitaph. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

epitaph

noun
ep·​i·​taph ˈep-ə-ˌtaf How to pronounce epitaph (audio)
: something written (as on a gravestone) in memory of a dead person
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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