be·reaved
| \ bi-ˈrēvd
, bē- \
, bē- \
Definition of bereaved
(Entry 1 of 2)
: suffering the death of a loved one
bereaved families of the victims
bereaved
noun
plural bereaved
Definition of bereaved (Entry 2 of 2)
: someone who is suffering the death of a loved one : one who is bereaved
comfort the bereaved
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Examples of bereaved in a Sentence
Adjective
the bereaved parents of the victims
the grief of the bereaved parents seemed to be without limit
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Another 3 percent were launched to pay for medical expenses, and 2 percent raised money for funerals and to support bereaved families left behind by a victim of COVID-19.
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San Diego Union-Tribune, "GoFundMe a go-to for struggling businesses, families, pet owners," 27 Sep. 2020
The bereaved shoe owner posted about the theft on a neighborhood watch website and received a flood of responses from similarly distressed victims.
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Claire Bugos, Smithsonian Magazine, "Sole-Searching, Shoe-Swiping Fox Caught in Germany," 11 Aug. 2020
In the evening, South Korea was to hold a ceremony with 300 war veterans, bereaved relatives and government officials at a military airport near Seoul.
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Washington Post, "2 Koreas mark war anniversary after pause in rising tensions," 25 June 2020
Each sheet represents another death, another bereaved family member looking for help.
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Victor Llorente, Popular Mechanics, "Inside a New York City Funeral Home’s Mission to Keep Bodies Out of Mass Graves," 24 Apr. 2020
Yang, who himself fled China after being briefly detained over his work with bereaved families, told the Times.
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Danielle Wallace, Fox News, "China silencing Wuhan coronavirus survivors, bereaved families through hush money, police interrogation," 7 May 2020
Marcie’s insecurity is stirred by the sudden arrival of the even younger and hotter Keisha, the new wife of Jason’s recently widowed (and not very bereaved, tbh) 60-something-year-old boss, William Radford IV.
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Sarah Lyall, New York Times, "Need a Distraction? These Thrillers Will Have You on the Edge of Your Seat," 20 Mar. 2020
The ceremonies at military cemeteries typically draw the country's top leadership and bereaved families.
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NBC News, "Hard-line Shiites storm Iran shrines closed over coronavirus," 17 Mar. 2020
In his role as ringmaster and reality host, Mr. Trump introduced the bereaved parents of Kayla Mueller, the American aid worker who in 2015 was raped and slain in Syria by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
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Lance Morrow, WSJ, "The State of Our Union Is . . . Entertaining," 5 Feb. 2020
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Both those who have lost a loved one and professionals serving the bereaved can get help finding government resources as well as crisis-relief services and more.
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Jennifer Wolff, Good Housekeeping, "There's a Dinner Party Group That Encourages People to Talk About Their Grief," 17 Nov. 2020
But while the commemorations were cathartic, Chellat said, government support for the bereaved has been lacking: Some didn’t know how to find help.
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Karla Adam, Washington Post, "‘Trapped like a cat in a cage’: London’s Grenfell Tower survivors look back on the deadliest fire in modern British history," 13 June 2018
Survivors and the bereaved observed the silence at the foot Grenfell Tower, where a new mosaic was unveiled.
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Karla Adam, Washington Post, "Remembering Grenfell, iconic landmarks glow green as Queen and Meghan join tributes," 14 June 2018
Veterans like the Phillipses serve as guides in the immediate aftermath, introducing the bereaved of Sandy Hook to those of San Bernardino and the parents of Virginia Tech to those of Roseburg, in a loose but growing network.
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Vivian Yee, New York Times, "For Parents of Shooting Victims, a Support Network That Keeps Growing," 18 Feb. 2018
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bereaved.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Cite this Entry
“Bereaved.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bereaved. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.
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More Definitions for bereaved
bereaved
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of bereaved
formal
: sad because a family member or friend has recently died
See the full definition for bereaved in the English Language Learners Dictionary
bereaved
adjective
be·reaved
| \ bi-ˈrēvd
\
\
Kids Definition of bereaved
: grieving over the death of a loved one
a bereaved widow
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Time Traveler for bereaved
The first known use of bereaved was in 1702
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