1
: the act of sorrowing
She is still in mourning for her dead husband.
2
a
: an outward sign (such as black clothes or an armband) of grief for a person's death
lots of people there, and only one man in full mourning—
Arnold Bennett
Arnold Bennett
b
: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown
after a long mourning, resume their ordinary dresses—Henry Reed
Henry ReedExamples of mourning in a Sentence
a day of national mourning
She is still in mourning for her dead husband.
The whole town was in mourning.
a period of deep mourning
His widow was dressed in mourning.
Recent Examples on the Web
The exhibition is devoted to examining modes of representation in different mediums where artists have addressed the concept of mourning, commemoration, and loss as a direct response to the national emergency of black grief.
—Simon Njami, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
White had spoken with Mitchell at length over the offseason after becoming the Indiana head coach to get to know her star player off the court; part of that experience involved helping Mitchell process the mourning of her father, who had died unexpectedly before the 2024 season.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Fasting is also common in the LDS church in times of mourning.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
There are dozens of little moments of quiet kindness and profound mourning, of gentle reflection and solemnity, of nature reaching out to Atsu, and by proxy, the player.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mourning
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Simon Njami, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
White had spoken with Mitchell at length over the offseason after becoming the Indiana head coach to get to know her star player off the court; part of that experience involved helping Mitchell process the mourning of her father, who had died unexpectedly before the 2024 season.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Fasting is also common in the LDS church in times of mourning.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
There are dozens of little moments of quiet kindness and profound mourning, of gentle reflection and solemnity, of nature reaching out to Atsu, and by proxy, the player.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mourning
Cite this Entry
“Mourning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mourning. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mourning
noun
mourn·ing
ˈmōr-niŋ 
ˈmȯr-
1
: the act of grieving
2
: an outward sign (as black clothes or a black arm band) of grief for a person's death
to wear mourning
3
: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown
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