bereavement

noun

be·​reave·​ment bi-ˈrēv-mənt 

bē-

: the state or fact of being bereaved or deprived of something or someone

Examples of bereavement in a Sentence

The following May, my wife and I flew to London for my father's funeral. Pam, determined to wrangle us an upgrade to business class on the strength of my bereavement, gave the British Airways ticketing clerk two passports and a sob story. —John Haney, Gourmet, January 2003

In the sections of her book that should prove an enduring contribution to the literature of grief, Ms. Gilbert recounts her free fall into widowhood, starting with that modern rite of bereavement, the erasing of the answering-machine message. —James S. Kunen, New York Times Book Review, 19 Mar. 1995

In any case, sadness and loss of interest and drive during periods of bereavement are expected and normal. If Mozart had not been upset by his parents' deaths, his wife's illnesses, and his separations from her, he would be less than human. —William A. Frosch, Musical Quarterly, 1990

a period of grief after bereavement

people who have recently suffered bereavements

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the first precedents came in 2024, when Air Canada was ordered to honor a bereavement discount hallucinated by their chatbot. — Klaudia Zaika, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Dartmoor National Park, Devon The fun really began when the team moved to Dartmoor to film the Barton Cottage scenes, the considerably more modest home the Dashwood women are forced to relocate to after their bereavement. — Charley Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026

Almost a decade later, in the impressive An Occupation of Loss (2016), Simon recruited professional mourners to reenact their bereavement customs in a sonic performance. — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026

The contract also stipulates longevity bonuses for staff with at least ten years of service, up to twelve weeks of paid parental leave, stronger health and safety protections, and more bereavement leave. — News Desk, Artforum, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see bereave

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bereavement

• achievement
• underachievement

Kids Definition

bereavement

noun

be·​reave·​ment bi-ˈrēv-mənt 

: the state or fact of being bereaved