obituary

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

obituarist

2 of 2

noun (2)

obit·​u·​ar·​ist -chəˌwerə̇st 

-chər-

plural -s

: a writer of obituaries or the writer of an obituary

Synonyms of obituary

Noun (1)

• obit
• epitaph
• inscription
• memorial

Examples of obituary in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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

Noun

More from The Providence Journal Find the latest obituaries here. — Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 10 July 2026

Kaylee Watkins of Kettering, Ohio, died on Friday, July 3, according to her obituary. — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026

Schmidt’s hard work earned her the highest girls’ tennis ranking in Batavia and placed her among the top 100 girls under 12 in the state of Illinois, her family said in an obituary. — Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026

In the June 23 Section A, the obituary for Greenspan said that he was married briefly to abstract artist Joan Mitchell. — Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Noun (1)

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