obit

noun

ō-ˈbit How to pronounce obit (audio) ˈō-bət How to pronounce obit (audio)
especially British ˈä-bit
Synonyms of obitnext

Examples of obit in a Sentence

she reads the obits as soon as she gets her morning paper
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.
And as The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in his recent obit, when the bookstore near his home closed, a window opened. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025 His passing touched people beyond his close circle of colleagues and friends, with his Deadline obit viewed by more than 18,200 to date. Stuart Levine, Deadline, 24 Nov. 2025 His obit also adds that Bob worked at the New York Herald Tribune, Newsday, the Boston Globe, the Boston Phoenix, and the Boston Herald. Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2025 Cable’s not dead yet, not by a long stretch, but the boys down in the obits section already have their pre-write ready to go in advance of the inevitable. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for obit

Word History

Etymology

in part short for obituary, in part continuing Middle English obit "death, record of a death date, religious service marking a death anniversary," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin obitus, going back to Latin, "approach, encounter, death, setting of a heavenly body," from obi-, stem of obīre "to meet with, visit, meet one's death, die" (from ob- "toward, facing" + īre "to go") + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at ob-, issue entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of obit was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Obit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obit. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.

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