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

Pew’s partner, Kelly Dombrowski, published an obituary for him on social media, remembering him as a supportive father to his three sons. —Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026

Gunn died Monday at his Toronto home following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, according to an obituary. —Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026

Fleck's obituary said he had been stationed at Fort Bragg since 2024. —Michael Guise, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026

Doris Nantz passed away peacefully in 2022, according to her obituary. —Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 3 Mar. 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