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

More from The Providence Journal Find the latest obituaries here. —Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 30 Jan. 2026

Sonny died of old age Tuesday in the Grandy area, and an obituary shared by the Corolla Wild Horse Fund was blunt about how he’ll be remembered. —Mark Price january 29, Charlotte Observer, 29 Jan. 2026

McGovern was a husband and a father to three children, according to the obituary. —David Chiu, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026

The last time a significant number of people tuned into California‘s low-frequency race for governor was in October, when Porter’s political obituary was being written in bold type. —Los Angeles Times, 28 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