death certificate

noun

: an official document that gives information about a person's death (such as when and how the death happened)

Examples of death certificate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His cause of death was later revealed to be cardiac arrest, acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease, according to the death certificate obtained by Fox News Digital. —Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 2025

John Baird's death was ruled a homicide, with his death certificate noting multiple stab wounds by his son, according to media reports. —Eva Wen, jsonline.com, 25 Oct. 2025

According to a death certificate, Goodall’s cause of death is listed as cardiopulmonary arrest. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025

Goodall died of cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest, her death certificate states. —Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025

Legal Definition

death certificate

noun

: a document setting forth information (as age, occupation, and place of birth) relating to a dead person and including a doctor's certification of the cause of death

Note: Death certificates are issued by a particular public official, as a city or town clerk. A death certificate is required to document a person's death for certain purposes, as to file an estate tax return or to probate an estate.