bereavement

noun be·reave·ment \ bi-ˈrēv-mənt , bē- \

Updated on: 14 May 2018

Definition of bereavement

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

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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 of bereavement from the Web

Maldonado sat out three games while on the bereavement list.

— jeff miller, latimes.com, "Angels' Kole Calhoun trying to get back in the swing of things," 9 May 2018
An affiliate of Hospice of Cincinnati, Fernside services complement Hospice of Cincinnati's comprehensive bereavement program by addressing the unique needs of children.

— hospice cincinnati, Cincinnati.com, "When loss comes early: 15 tips for supporting a grieving child," 7 May 2018
Roster moves The Angels placed C Martin Maldonado on bereavement list and selected the contract of C Juan Graterol from the minors.

— CBS News, "Albert Pujols becomes 32nd member of 3,000-hit club with hit against Mariners," 5 May 2018
As director of bereavement services, Elissa Berman runs the support groups and the art group is co-facilitated with Misty Ramos, another licensed professional counselor.

— gus chan, cleveland.com, ""A connecting cord in our loss:" Art promotes healing for Lifebanc organ donor families," 15 Apr. 2018
There are many different kinds of social pain: embarrassment, betrayal, bereavement, insult, exclusion by a group or individual, loneliness, heartbreak.

— will storr, The Cut, "How Scientists Invented a Test to Measure Hurt Feelings," 25 Apr. 2018
Guest speaker Terry Revere will discuss bereavement, the grieving process and support available in the community.

— Post-Tribune, "Community news," 19 Apr. 2018
The family wishes to thank all for your thoughts, prayers, phone calls and acts of kindness that comforted us in so many ways during this time of bereavement.

— courant.com, "Ruth Fountain Risby," 8 Apr. 2018
The brutal seascape of the Aran Islands provides the backdrop for a story of unrelenting bereavement, as a widow loses her fishermen sons, one by one, to the waves.

— julia m. klein, Philly.com, "'Women of Ireland': Five plays in an hour, classic and contemporary," 9 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bereavement.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.