bereavement

noun

be·​reave·​ment bi-ˈrēv-mənt How to pronounce bereavement (audio)
bē-
Synonyms of bereavementnext
: the state or fact of being bereaved or deprived of something or someone

Examples of bereavement in a Sentence

The following May, my wife and I flew to London for my father's funeral. Pam, determined to wrangle us an upgrade to business class on the strength of my bereavement, gave the British Airways ticketing clerk two passports and a sob story. — John Haney, Gourmet, January 2003
In the sections of her book that should prove an enduring contribution to the literature of grief, Ms. Gilbert recounts her free fall into widowhood, starting with that modern rite of bereavement, the erasing of the answering-machine message. — James S. Kunen, New York Times Book Review, 19 Mar. 1995
In any case, sadness and loss of interest and drive during periods of bereavement are expected and normal. If Mozart had not been upset by his parents' deaths, his wife's illnesses, and his separations from her, he would be less than human. — William A. Frosch, Musical Quarterly, 1990
a period of grief after bereavement people who have recently suffered bereavements
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.
While the politics of health and care do not always map onto war and its metaphors, public health is messy when new and virulent diseases take over a country in bereavement. — Edna Bonhomme, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025 Low and his partner Amy Hastie, 36, also have Imogen as part of their blended family brought together by bereavement. — Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025 Sweeney and O’Brien play grieving siblings who meet in a twin bereavement group and strike up a friendship, and the scene reveals events that are best kept as a surprise. — Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2025 The film is a fun, crowd-pleasing yet bittersweet story about a bereavement support group for twins who have lost their other half, with Dylan O’Brien playing a twin who forms an unlikely bromance with James Sweeney, who is also the film’s director. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bereavement

Word History

Etymology

see bereave

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bereavement was in 1660

Rhymes for bereavement

See All Rhymes for bereavement

Browse Nearby Words

bereavement
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Cite this Entry

“Bereavement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bereavement. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

bereavement

noun
be·​reave·​ment bi-ˈrēv-mənt How to pronounce bereavement (audio)
: the state or fact of being bereaved

More from Merriam-Webster on bereavement

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bereavement

Nglish: Translation of bereavement for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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