bereavement

noun

be·​reave·​ment bi-ˈrēv-mənt How to pronounce bereavement (audio)
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 And 58% plan to do the same for miscarriage bereavement. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2023 Early childhood development has long been a keystone of Princess Kate’s royal world, and her back-to-back engagements shed light on the importance of loving relationships for children who have experienced adversity, trauma, or bereavement. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 25 May 2023 At a time when leading with empathy is imperative for corporate leaders to attract and retain talent, expanding your bereavement leave is arguably one of the easiest ways to do that. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2023 Brennan Bernardino has been activated, with Garrett Whitlock on the bereavement list ... Amin Touri, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2023 Such benefits help ease hectic work schedules that include tight turnarounds in editing skits, which are often shot on Friday, with postproduction work sometimes wrapping just minutes before airtime on Saturday night New benefits include bereavement leave. Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2023 Tigers right-hander Casey Mize (Tommy John surgery) to face live hitters 'pretty soon' In the fourth inning, after the Guardians' blunder on defense, Javier Báez ripped a single in his return from the bereavement list. Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 19 Aug. 2023 The outings at the Foundling Museum and the charity Kinship illuminated the importance of loving relationships for children who have experienced adversity, trauma, or bereavement. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 27 June 2023 However, a survey conducted by the Compassionate Friends, a leading bereavement organization, revealed that only 16% of bereaved parents end up divorcing, debunking the age-old myth that 70% to 90% of bereaved parents split up. Jason Armond, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bereavement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see bereave

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bereavement was in 1660

Dictionary Entries Near bereavement

Cite this Entry

“Bereavement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bereavement. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

bereavement

noun
be·​reave·​ment bi-ˈrēv-mənt How to pronounce bereavement (audio)
: the state or fact of being bereaved
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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