obituary

1 of 2

noun (1)

obit·u·ary ə-ˈbi-chə-ˌwer-ē ō-

-ˈbi-chə-rē

plural obituaries

Synonyms of obituary

: 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

obituarist

2 of 2

noun (2)

obit·u·ar·ist -chəˌwerə̇st

-chər-

plural -s

: a writer of obituaries or the writer of an obituary

Examples of obituary in a Sentence

Noun (1) 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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Noun

The site has death certificates as well as short newspaper obituaries and notes written at the time of death. — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 2026 There was a full-page obituary in Der Angriff, written by the Gauleiter himself, that was full of Christian as well as Nazi symbolism. — Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026 Sweany moved out on her own and continued her studies first at Butte Community College and then at Chico State, according to an obituary for Sweany posted on the website Legacy. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Farrah dreamed of attending beauty school or opening her own restaurant, according to her obituary. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for obituary

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Noun (1)

1703, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of obituary was in 1703

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

obituarize

obituary

obj

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Obituary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obituary. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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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

obituary

noun (1)

noun (2)

Synonyms of obituary

Examples of obituary in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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