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 city declared a day of mourning on January 9, the third such observance in just 40 days.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
President Joe Biden, who declared Thursday a national day of mourning after Carter died Dec. 29 at age 100, delivered the eulogy.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
Before this current period of mourning, flags were last lowered nationally on December 7, 2024, to mark National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
The day of mourning means post offices will be closed, as well as the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.
—Kyler Alvord, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for mourning 
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Katya Soldak, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
President Joe Biden, who declared Thursday a national day of mourning after Carter died Dec. 29 at age 100, delivered the eulogy.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
Before this current period of mourning, flags were last lowered nationally on December 7, 2024, to mark National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
The day of mourning means post offices will be closed, as well as the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.
—Kyler Alvord, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for mourning
Dictionary Entries Near mourning
Cite this Entry
“Mourning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mourning. Accessed 18 Jan. 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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