obituary

noun

obit·​u·​ary ə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce obituary (audio) ō- How to pronounce obituary (audio)
-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- How to pronounce obituary (audio)
-ˈbi-chə-rist
noun
obituary adjective

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nunez is survived by three daughters who also live in Baxley, three brothers, nine grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild, according to her obituary. Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025 According to her obituary, after high school, Rachel earned her bachelor of business administration, cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025 Nunez was born in Ahuijullo, Jalisco, Mexico, and worked as a midwife and co-founder of the family business, Nunez Pine Straw, according to her obituary. Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025 Bake some sweet treats, enjoy some snarky sci-fi animation, and watch a dark comedy about a murderous obituary writer this week. PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for obituary

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of obituary was in 1703

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Obituary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obituary. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

obituary

noun
obit·​u·​ary ə-ˈbich-ə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce obituary (audio)
plural obituaries
: a notice of a person's death (as in a newspaper)
obituary adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on obituary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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