obituary

noun

obit·​u·​ary ə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwer-ē  ō- 

-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- 

-ˈbi-chə-rist

noun

obituary adjective

Synonyms of obituary

• obit
• epitaph
• inscription
• memorial

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

He was deployed in support of Desert Storm during the Persian Gulf War, according to his obituary. —Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026

Jones died March 20 after a long illness, according to an online obituary. —Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026

More from The Providence Journal Find the latest obituaries here. —Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 1 Apr. 2026

Clarke died a day after turning 65, according to an obituary posted on Facebook. —David Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Apr. 2026

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

Kids Definition

obituary

noun

obit·​u·​ary ə-ˈbich-ə-ˌwer-ē 

plural obituaries

: a notice of a person's death (as in a newspaper)

obituary adjective