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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
It’s funded through a partnership with the childhood bereavement non-profit A Little Hope. Rachel Hale, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025 In the first few years of bereavement, everything the deceased said and did takes on such importance. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025 Marianne Matzo, PhD, the education director at Everyone Dies, a non-profit that provides public education regarding serious illness, dying, death and bereavement, says this longevity requires a cultural shift. Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 24 Sep. 2025 But criminal networks can now easily identify individuals in specific situations of bereavement or divorce. Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bereavement

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bereavement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bereavement. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

bereavement

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

More from Merriam-Webster on bereavement

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!