obituary

noun

obit·​u·​ary ə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwer-ē  ō- 

-ˈbi-chə-rē

plural obituaries

: a notice of a person's death usually with a short biographical account

obituarist

ə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwər-ist, 

ō- 

-ˈbi-chə-rist

noun

obituary adjective

Synonyms of obituary

• obit
• epitaph
• inscription
• memorial

Examples of obituary in a Sentence

I read her obituary in the newspaper.

several obituaries for Herman Melville portrayed him as an obscure, largely forgotten author

Recent Examples on the Web

According to her obituary, Dunn loved children and worked as a daycare provider. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026

His obituary described him as an avid golfer, fisherman and gardener who is survived by two sons, his mother, two brothers and his dog, Merle. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026

According to an obituary, Santana was a 2018 graduate of Eli Whitney Technical High School who loved race cars and car racing. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 Aug. 2026

Their father, Robert Harp, was a commercial real estate businessman and a marketing executive with advanced degrees from Christian theological institutions, according to his obituary. — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin obituārium, noun derivative of Medieval Latin obituārius "of death, recording records or dates of death," from Latin obitu-, stem of obitus "death" + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at obit

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

obituary

noun

obit·​u·​ary ə-ˈbich-ə-ˌwer-ē 

plural obituaries

: a notice of a person's death (as in a newspaper)

obituary adjective