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

• 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

Seth graduated from Mansfield Summit High School in Arlington and then from Texas Tech University in 2024 with a degree in personal financial planning, according to his obituary. —Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2025

The couple had not been public about their relationship until the obituary was released. —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 13 Aug. 2025

According to his obituary, as reported by CW affiliate WPIX, Fitzgerald had recently begun working in the foreign currency exchange desk at Fiduciary Trust before his death. —David Chiu, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025

Jane Pitt’s obituary in the News-Leader in Springfield, Missouri, tries to offer a more positive view about her relationship with the children of her movie star son. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for obituary

• accretionary
• apothecary
• bicentenary
• certiorari
• concessionary
• concretionary
• confectionary
• confectionery
• constabulary
• contemporary
• deflationary
• depositary

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