Obituary - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT obituary /oʊˈbɪtʃuɛri/ /əʊˈbɪtʃɪri/ IPA guide

Other forms: obituaries

An obituary is the notice of someone's death. It is placed in the newspaper to alert others to the death. It gives a background about the deceased's life, usually listing survivors and giving funeral information.

The noun obituary, which appears in English in the early 18th century, comes from the Latin obīre, where ob- means "toward," and īre, "to go," suggesting a "going toward" one's death. The first obituary as we know it probably appeared shortly after the invention of the printing press and included just the bare facts of the death. In 19th-century England, the announcements became more elaborate, and photos were added in the 20th century, making the modern obituary more like an elaborate eulogy.

Definitions of obituary

noun a notice of someone's death; usually includes a short biography synonyms: necrology, obit see moresee less type of: notice an announcement containing information about an event

Pronunciation US /oʊˈbɪtʃuɛri/ UK /əʊˈbɪtʃɪri/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘obituary'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family

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