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

Rasbandith is survived by his parents, a stepmother, two siblings and two children, according to the obituary. —David Chiu, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025

According to an obituary published by Austin Funeral & Cremation Services, Tate was born and raised in Nashville and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with an undergraduate degree in business. —Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025

According to his obituary, George Ramos began boxing as an amateur at 11. —Mike Stunson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2025

When Ludwig Wittgenstein, Karl’s youngest child, died in England in 1951, his obituary in the Times put him in the wrong family. —Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 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