1
: the act of sorrowing
She is still in mourning for her dead husband.
2
a
: an outward sign (such as black clothes or an armband) of grief for a person's death
lots of people there, and only one man in full mourning—
Arnold Bennett
Arnold Bennett
b
: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown
after a long mourning, resume their ordinary dresses—Henry Reed
Henry ReedExamples of mourning in a Sentence
a day of national mourning
She is still in mourning for her dead husband.
The whole town was in mourning.
a period of deep mourning
His widow was dressed in mourning.
Recent Examples on the Web
The look was popularized by Queen Victoria of England, who wore the elegant and elaborate funeral garb in public mourning of her husband Albert, who died in 1861, until her own death in 1901.
—Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2024
Editors’ Picks Monday was a national day of mourning in Australia, with flags flying at half-staff throughout the country.
—Victoria Kim, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
The person grieving will oscillate between both modes—at times mourning, and at times setting aside emotions to nurture new relationships or figure out the logistics of a different life without their loved one.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Adam Sandler is mourning costar Joe Flaherty after his death at 82.
—Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
The remains of a 22-year-old mother and her two young children were found Friday by police in a Charlotte apartment, leaving a family mourning and investigators questioning the suspect's motive.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Why Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip Didn't Go to Charles and Camilla's Wedding Ceremony
After eight days of mourning, the late Duke of Edinburgh was laid to rest in a much smaller funeral than previous royal burials.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
One day after the devastating collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, bodies were recovered from the Patapsco River, leaving families of those missing or presumed dead mourning in the aftermath.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2024
Still in mourning, family says ‘outcome could have been even worse’
The last fatal attack in Northern California was nearly 30 years ago, in April 1994, when a 40-year-old woman was killed in the Auburn State Recreation Area in El Dorado County.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024
Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2024
Editors’ Picks Monday was a national day of mourning in Australia, with flags flying at half-staff throughout the country.
—Victoria Kim, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
The person grieving will oscillate between both modes—at times mourning, and at times setting aside emotions to nurture new relationships or figure out the logistics of a different life without their loved one.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Adam Sandler is mourning costar Joe Flaherty after his death at 82.
—Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
The remains of a 22-year-old mother and her two young children were found Friday by police in a Charlotte apartment, leaving a family mourning and investigators questioning the suspect's motive.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Why Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip Didn't Go to Charles and Camilla's Wedding Ceremony
After eight days of mourning, the late Duke of Edinburgh was laid to rest in a much smaller funeral than previous royal burials.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
One day after the devastating collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, bodies were recovered from the Patapsco River, leaving families of those missing or presumed dead mourning in the aftermath.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2024
Still in mourning, family says ‘outcome could have been even worse’
The last fatal attack in Northern California was nearly 30 years ago, in April 1994, when a 40-year-old woman was killed in the Auburn State Recreation Area in El Dorado County.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mourning.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mourning
Cite this Entry
“Mourning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mourning. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mourning
noun
mourn·ing
ˈmōr-niŋ 
ˈmȯr-
1
: the act of grieving
2
: an outward sign (as black clothes or a black arm band) of grief for a person's death
to wear mourning
3
: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown
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