Meanings
plural obituaries
- A brief notice of a person's death, especially one published in a newspaper or other publication; also (obsolete), the section of a newspaper where notices of deaths are published.
“You want to know the ironic thing? I wrote my son’s obituary using ChatGPT,” Mr. Taylor said.
2025 June 13, Kashmir Hill, “They Asked ChatGPT Questions. The Answers Sent Them Spiraling.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN2 more examples
[N]ot one in fifty of the actual disasters and deaths by casualties in the fishery, ever finds a public record at home, however transient and immediately forgotten that record. Do you suppose that that poor fellow there, who this moment perhaps caught by the whale-line off the coast of New Guinea, is being carried down to the bottom of the sea by the sounding leviathan—do you suppose that that poor fellow's name will appear in the newspaper obituary you will read to-morrow at your breakfast?
1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Affidavit”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 228The newspaper came in, as usual, after breakfast. I looked it over, and discovered this memorable entry, among the obituary announcements of the day:— "On the 29th inst., at Brighton, Michael Vanstone, Esq., formerly of Zurich, aged 77."
1862, [William] Wilkie Collins, “VIII. Chronicle for April and May.”, in No Name. […], volume II, London: Sampson Low, Son, & Co., […], →OCLC, between the scenes (Chronicle of Events: Preserved in Captain Wragge’s Despatch Box), page 21Synonyms: obit
- broadlyA brief biography of a person (especially one who is well-known) who has recently died, usually describing their life and achievements, particularly in the form of an article in a news publication or an item in a news broadcast.
You know the Greeks didn't write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: "Did he have passion?"
2001 September 13, Marc Klein, Serendipity, spoken by Dean Kansky (Jeremy Piven)1 more example
Obituary editors are confronted daily with the need to make delicate hermeneutic interpretations of the social meaning of individuals' deaths and to express these powerfully to their readership. […] [I draw] attention to a discrepancy that appears to exist between, on the one hand, the editors' subjective avowals about the openness of the obituary columns and, on the other hand, the objectively highly restricted origins and trajectories of the obituary subjects.
2007, Bridget Fowler, “The Social Value of Death: The Microworld of the Editors”, in The Obituary as Collective Memory (Routledge Advances in Sociology; 27), New York, N.Y.; Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Routledge, →ISBN, part I (Theoretical, Historical and Quantitative Studies of the Obituary), page 105 - figurativelyAn announcement or description of the end of something.
Mouths were agape on the announcement of England's starting lineup, the return of Keira Walsh appearing miraculous 10 days after she left the pitch on a stretcher in agony. Walsh’s World Cup obituaries were written; she was England's most valuable player, irreplaceable.
2023 August 7, Suzanne Wrack, “England beat Nigeria on penalties to reach Women's World Cup quarter-finals”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 Aug 2023 - historicalA register of deaths, especially one maintained by a religious institution; a necrology.
comparative more obituary · superlative most obituary
- Relating to obituaries.
He is the paper's obituary editor.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA brief notice of a person's death, especially one published in a newspaper or other publication; also (obsolete), the section of a newspaper where notices of deaths are published.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna notice of someone's death; usually includes a short biography
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁ey-“to go”
- Latinobitus“act of approaching or going toward, an approach; act of going down, setting; of the sun: sunset; death; destruction, downfall, ruin”
- Medieval Latinobituārius“obituary”
- Englishobituary
PIE word *h₁epi Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin obituārius (“obituary”) + English -ary (suffix denoting something relating to another thing or used in a place). Obituārius is derived from Latin obitus (“act of approaching or going toward, an approach; act of going down, setting; of the sun: sunset; death; destruction, downfall, ruin”) + -ārius (suffix forming adjectives and agent nouns); while obitus is a noun use of the perfect passive participle of obeō (“to go to meet, go towards; (figurative) to die, pass away, perish; (astronomy) to set”), from ob- (prefix meaning ‘toward’) + eō (“to go, move”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- (“to go”).
More words from Medieval Latin, Latin, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans doodberig
- doodberigbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Arabic نَعْي
- نَعْي (naʕy)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Basque hilberri
- hilberribrief biography of a person who has recently died
Bulgarian некролог, скръ́бна вест
- некролог (nekrolog)brief biography of a person who has recently died
- скръ́бна вест (skrắbna vest)brief biography of a person who has recently died
- некролог (nekrolog)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- скръ́бна вест (skrắbna vest)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Catalan obituari, esquela
- obituaribrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- esquelabrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Chinese Mandarin 訃告 /讣告, 訃聞 /讣闻
- 訃告 /讣告 (fùgào)brief biography of a person who has recently died
- 訃聞 /讣闻 (fùwén)brief biography of a person who has recently died
- 訃告 /讣告 (fùgào)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- 訃聞 /讣闻 (fùwén)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- 訃音 /讣音 (fùyīn)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Czech nekrolog
- nekrologbrief biography of a person who has recently died
Danish nekrolog, dødsannonce
- nekrologbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- dødsannoncebrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Dutch necrologie, doodsbrief
- necrologiebrief biography of a person who has recently died
- doodsbriefbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Esperanto nekrologo
- nekrologobrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Estonian nekroloog
- nekroloogbrief biography of a person who has recently died
Finnish muistokirjoitus, kuolinilmoitus
- muistokirjoitusbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- kuolinilmoitusannouncement or description of the end of something
- kuolinilmoitusbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
French nécrologie, nécrologie
- nécrologiebrief biography of a person who has recently died
- nécrologiebrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- nécrobrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
German Nachruf, Nekrolog
- Nachrufbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- Nekrologbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- Abgesangannouncement or description of the end of something
- Abschreibenannouncement or description of the end of something
- Nekrologbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- Partebrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- Partezettelbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- Todesanzeigebrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- Totenzettelbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- Traueranzeigebrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Greek νεκρολογία, αναγγελία θανάτου
- νεκρολογία (nekrología)brief biography of a person who has recently died
- αναγγελία θανάτου (anangelía thanátou)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- νεκρολογία (nekrología)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Hebrew מוֹדַעַת אֵבֶל, נקרולוג
- מוֹדַעַת אֵבֶל (moda'át evel)brief biography of a person who has recently died
- נקרולוגbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- מוֹדַעַת אֵבֶל (moda'át evel)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Hindi इत्तेला-ए-वफ़ात
- इत्तेला-ए-वफ़ात (ittelā-e-vafāt)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Hungarian gyászjelentés, nekrológ
- gyászjelentésbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- nekrológbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- gyászjelentésbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Icelandic minning
- minningbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Indonesian berita duka, berita duka
- berita dukabrief biography of a person who has recently died
- berita dukabrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- kabar dukabrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Irish scéala báis
- scéala báisbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Italian necrologio, necrologio
- necrologiobrief biography of a person who has recently died
- necrologiobrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Japanese 死亡者略歴, 訃
- 死亡者略歴 (shibousharyakureki)brief biography of a person who has recently died
- 訃 (fu)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- 訃報 (fuhō)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- 死亡記事 (shibō kiji)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Korean 부음, 부고
- 부음 (bueum)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- 부고 (bugo)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- 행장 (haengjang)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Latin obituārius
- obituāriusbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Latvian nekrologs
- nekrologsbrief biography of a person who has recently died
Lithuanian nekrologas, nekrologas
- nekrologasbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- nekrologasbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Malay obituari
- obituaribrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Māori kupu poroporoaki
- kupu poroporoakibrief biography of a person who has recently died
Norwegian dødsannonse, nekrolog
- dødsannonsebrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- nekrologbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Norwegian Bokmål minneord, nekrolog
- minneordbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- nekrologbrief biography of a person who has recently died
Persian آگهی ترحیم, اعلامیه فوت
- آگهی ترحیمbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- اعلامیه فوت (e'lâmiye-ye fowt)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Polish nekrolog, klepsydra
- nekrologbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- klepsydrabrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- nekrologbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Portuguese obituário, obituário
- obituáriobrief biography of a person who has recently died
- obituáriobrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Romanian necrolog, necrolog
- necrologbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- necrologbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Russian некроло́г, некроло́г
- некроло́г (nekrológ)brief biography of a person who has recently died
- некроло́г (nekrológ)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Scottish Gaelic iomradh-bàis, iomradh-bàis
- iomradh-bàisbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- iomradh-bàisbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Spanish obituario, obituario
- obituariobrief biography of a person who has recently died
- obituariobrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- esquelabrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- necrologíabrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Swahili tanzia
- tanziabrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Swedish dödsruna, eftermäle
- dödsrunabrief biography of a person who has recently died
- eftermälebrief biography of a person who has recently died
- minnesordbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- nekrologbrief biography of a person who has recently died
- dödsannonsbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- dödsnotisbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
- minnesordbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Tagalog obitwaryo, obitwaryo
- obitwaryobrief biography of a person who has recently died
- obitwaryobrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Turkish ölüm ilanı
- ölüm ilanıbrief biography of a person who has recently died
Ukrainian некроло́г, некроло́г
- некроло́г (nekrolóh)brief biography of a person who has recently died
- некроло́г (nekrolóh)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Urdu وفاتیہ, اطلاع وفات
- وفاتیہ (ofāteh)brief biography of a person who has recently died
- اطلاع وفات (ittelā-e-vafāt)brief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Vietnamese cáo phó
- cáo phóbrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Welsh ysgrif goffa
- ysgrif goffabrief notice of a person’s death, especially one published in a newspaper
Cite this entry
obituary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obituary
“obituary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obituary. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “obituary,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obituary.
Source: obituary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.