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 their obituaries, which were issued jointly, the pair were married in 2020. —Arkansas Online, 24 Jan. 2026

Her obituary describes her as an affectionate mother and grandmother who lived in Concord for 36 years and graduated from Carondelet High School before getting a job at her father’s transportation company. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026

Spencer and Monique Tepe married in December 2020, according to their obituary. —Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 23 Jan. 2026

More from The Providence Journal Find the latest obituaries here. —Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 23 Jan. 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