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

Hollywood obituaries tend to develop along two parallel tracks. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026

An online obituary set up for Kristen was taken down on Monday afternoon. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026

Former Times staff writer Michael Kupper wrote this obituary prior to his death in 2025. — Michael Kupper, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Attention could’ve turned to 2027, and obituaries for a disappointing campaign could’ve been crafted. — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 15 Aug. 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