bereavement

play

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

Definition of bereavement

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

See bereavement defined for English-language learners

See bereavement defined for kids

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

Before the game, the Marlins optioned right-hander Drew Steckenrider to Triple-A New Orleans and reinstated right-hander David Phelps from the bereavement list.

— ap, USA TODAY, "Stanton's long homer helps Marlins beat Angels 8-5", 27 May 2017
There is just the deep sense of loss, horror, bereavement and finally, shock.

— janine di giovanni, New York Times, "Drawn Into the Middle East: A Novel, a Memoir and an Account of Life in the Region", 8 Feb. 2017
The natural sentiment of the writer and director Lorene Scafaria’s heartfelt story of bereavement and recovery is burdened by clichés in the script and the performances alike.

— richard brody, The New Yorker, "The Meddler", 9 Jan. 2017
Customers seek help with problems ranging from procrastination to bereavement, but Ms. Berthoud warns bibliotherapy isn’t for everyone.

— sarah sloat, WSJ, "‘Book Doctors’ Say What You Need Is a Good Read", 18 Dec. 2016
At another institution, these new hoodies might thus have become a costume of bereavement, but the engineers and computer scientists from both teams all seemed pleased.

— gideon lewis-kraus, New York Times, "The Great A.I. Awakening", 14 Dec. 2016
Davis reaches out from his bereavement, though not for sex.

— anthony lane, The New Yorker, "“Demolition” and “Louder Than Bombs.”", 18 Apr. 2016
Their bereavement is no longer raw but has settled into that persistent throb of awareness of a gaping and permanent vacuum.

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: ‘Hungry’ Portrays a Mourning Clan in Election Year 2016", 6 Mar. 2016
Purchased a bereavement fare for grandma's funeral?

— aaron goldfarb, Esquire, "Esquire's Official Guide to Airport Drinking", 27 May 2015

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.