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

But once an All-Star, always an All-Star — and indeed, when Stearns died in 2021, the first line of his obituary called him a four-time All-Star. —Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 9 July 2025

Harris died in February and was 37 years old, per his obituary. —Julia Moore, People.com, 8 July 2025

Marshall was described in his obituary as a loyal son, loving brother, hardworking professional, and proud father. —Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2025

Hinkle loved photography, playing guitar and walking along Cane Branch, his family said in his obituary. —Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 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