death certificate

noun

: an official document that gives information about a person's death (such as when and how the death happened)

Examples of death certificate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Additionally, a doctor signed the death certificate based on his assessment of the woman within the last 7 days, which indicated her passing was not suspicious, Houchin said. Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2024 The cause of Harris’ death was determined on Feb. 27, and a death certificate was released to the Worcester city clerk’s office on March 5, according to Elaine Driscoll, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. Steve Leblanc, Fortune, 16 May 2024 Read More: Why Your Diet Needs More Fermented Pickles The cause of death was determined on Feb. 27, and the death certificate was released to the city clerk’s office on March 5, according to Elaine Driscoll, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. TIME, 16 May 2024 Rinaldi employees assembled a death certificate, an affidavit, a county health department letter stating the body was free from contagious diseases and a burial transit permit. Maya Lora, Baltimore Sun, 2 May 2024 Simpson's death certificate lists his cause of death as prostate cancer, according to his lawyer. Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024 Last month, the state Bureau of Vital Statistics reissued Sean’s death certificate, upon the request of his mother. Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024 The Oscar-winning An Officer and a Gentleman star died at age 87 in Santa Monica, Calif., on March 29, due to the lung condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, according to a death certificate. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024 The cause of death on his official death certificate from the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency, which was reviewed by ABC News, is listed as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels) in connection with the varicella-zoster virus. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'death certificate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Death certificate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20certificate. Accessed 11 Jun. 2024.

Legal Definition

death certificate

noun
: a document setting forth information (as age, occupation, and place of birth) relating to a dead person and including a doctor's certification of the cause of death

Note: Death certificates are issued by a particular public official, as a city or town clerk. A death certificate is required to document a person's death for certain purposes, as to file an estate tax return or to probate an estate.

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