bereavement

noun

be·​reave·​ment bi-ˈrēv-mənt How to pronounce bereavement (audio)
bē-
Synonyms of bereavement
: 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.
Worth noting Bryce Eldridge returned from the bereavement list, and infielder Buddy Kennedy was designated for assignment. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026 The Sox also placed outfielder Andrew Benintendi on the bereavement/family medical emergency list and recalled infielder/outfielder Rikuu Nishida from Charlotte. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Standard bereavement policies, which in many organizations amount to a handful of days, are simply not built for that arithmetic. — Mena Mirhom, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Not only was his son well-cared for, but the home provided bereavement support and an opportunity for the family to address anticipatory grief. — Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 20 July 2026 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

bereaved
bereavement
be reborn
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bereavement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bereavement. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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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

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