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 family is now in mourning while also celebrating their new addition Noah.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
After a mourning period of two to three weeks, the College of Cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Thousands of people gathered at the city's Hostage Square and recited traditional mourning prayers.
—Melanie Lidman, arkansasonline.com, 21 Feb. 2025
How Did Social Media React To Gene Hackman’s Passing?
The response online has been one of collective grief and mourning.
—Callum Booth, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mourning
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Escher Walcott, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
After a mourning period of two to three weeks, the College of Cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Thousands of people gathered at the city's Hostage Square and recited traditional mourning prayers.
—Melanie Lidman, arkansasonline.com, 21 Feb. 2025
How Did Social Media React To Gene Hackman’s Passing?
The response online has been one of collective grief and mourning.
—Callum Booth, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mourning
Cite this Entry
“Mourning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mourning. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
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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