obituaryn.adj.
/əˈbɪtʃʊəri/, /əˈbɪtʃ(ᵿ)ri/, /əˈbɪtjʊəri/, /əˈbɪtjᵿri/, U.S. /əˈbɪtʃəˌwɛri/, /oʊˈbɪtʃəˌwɛri/ A. n.
1. A register in which deaths, or obit days, are recorded. Cf. necrology n. Now historical.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > death > [noun] > death roll
bill of mortality1645
mortality bill1665
burialsa1687
obital1691
obituary1701
necrology1802
death roll1803
obitual1812
1701 W. Kennett Cowell's Interpreter (new ed.) at Obit In Religious Houses they had a Register or Kalendar, wherein they entred the Obits or Obitual Days of their Founders and Benefactors, which was thence called the Obituary.
1703 N. Battely Somner's Antiq. Canterbury (rev. ed.) i. 12 The Obituary of this Church has recorded the Benefactions of Prior Conrad.
1725 T. Hearne in R. Mannyng Chron. Pref. 25 (margin) The Obituaries, or Obit Books of Bridlington.
1856 P. Thompson Hist. & Antiq. Boston, Lincoln 115 In religious houses they had a register..wherein they entered the obits or obitual days of their founders and benefactors, which was thence termed the obituary.
1952 Lat. Liturg. MSS (Exhib. Guide, Bodl. Libr.) 35 Obituary (and martyrology) Secular; cathedral of St. Ethelbert, Hereford; mid-14th century.
1972 Speculum 47 261 This practice of liturgical commemoration and intercession..was usually performed either annually, on the death-days of those whose names were entered on a calendar called a necrology or obituary, or daily.
2. A record or announcement of a death, esp. in a newspaper or similar publication; (in later use) (also) spec. an appreciation appearing in a newspaper or news broadcast, of an eminent or well-known person who has recently died, typically including a brief biography. Also in extended use. Also (formerly): †the section of a newspaper in which deaths are announced (obsolete).
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > death > obsequies > obituary > [noun]
obit1459
obituary1738
necrology1799
necrologue1884
society > communication > journalism > journal > matter of or for journals > [noun] > obituary
obituary1738
obit1874
1738 T. Birch Life Milton in J. Milton Wks. I. 59 He died at his House in Bunhill-Row November 15th, according to Mr. Richard Smith, his Neighbour, in his Obituary.
1792 R. Burns Let. 6 Dec. (2003) II. 164 I..scarcely look over the obituary of a Newspaper, that I do not see some names that I have known.
1821 Sat. Evening Post (Philadelphia) 27 Oct. 3/5 Obituary... Departed this life, on the morning of the 5th instant, after a short but severe illness, of nervous fever, Mrs. Margaret R. Cowell.
1846 Jrnl. Statist. Soc. 9 43 From the obituaries of the Annual Register from the date of its first publication.., I have carefully extracted the ages at death of all persons dying aged 21 years and upwards.
1875 J. H. Bennet Winter & Spring Mediterranean (ed. 5) vi. 161 The cold east winds of the spring, which yearly fill the obituaries.
1928 M. Connolly Mr. Blue v. 100 The history of the past, especially of the distant past, reads much like a long and sombre obituary.
1958 Engineering 28 Mar. 408/2 That the obituary of the battleship should be written by a medical practitioner is the clearest..testimony that there is still a role for the enthusiastic and knowledgeable amateur.
1972 M. Muggeridge Green Stick iv. 169 I remember how, on one occasion, he put in the paper the obituary of someone who was still alive.
2001 Village Voice (N.Y.) 11 Dec. 114/1 The WTC obituaries that have been running in the Times since the attacks.
B. adj.
Of, of the nature of, or relating to an obituary or obituaries.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > death > obsequies > obituary > [adjective]
necrologic1796
obituary1820
necrological1828
1820 J. F. Cooper Precaution I. vi. 49 The day after the appearance of the obituary paragraph, they dined by invitation at the Hall.
1844 W. G. Clark Lit. Remains 348 I read notices concerning me, hymeneal and obituary, several times in a month.
1862 W. Collins No Name II. viii. 21 The newspaper came in..after breakfast. I looked it over, and discovered this memorable entry, among the obituary announcements of the day.
1900 G. C. Brodrick Mem. & Impr. 157 If he could have written his own obituary memoir.
1948 Speculum 23 653 The obituary roll commemorates for the fifth of September a Magister Odo de Cherech or Chereth.
1962 W. Nowottny Lang. Poets Use ii. 34 Whilst using obituary or Who's Who language, it [sc. the diction] subtly detaches itself from the social attitudes such language is normally associated with.
2000 B. Haggh in M. E. Fassler & R. A. Bal Divine Office in Lat. Middle Ages 373 The calendars of the obituary leaves from the choir and of the other obituary leaves differ.
Derivatives
obituˈarily adv. in the manner of or as regards an obituary; (also, in extended use) posthumously.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > death > obsequies > obituary > [adverb]
necrologically1803
obituarily1855
1855 J. Ogilvie Suppl. Imperial Dict. Obituarily,..in the manner of an obituary.
1861 Vanity Fair (N.Y.) 30 45/1 Following on the footsteps of those who have gone before us, obituarily speaking, would seem to be rather a difficult and uncertain process.
1889 G. B. Shaw in Star 23 Jan. 4/2 Madame Ilma de Murska is dead; and an ungrateful world is describing her obituarily as a person remarkable for a compass that extended to F in alt.
1902 Westm. Gaz. 1 Aug. 1/3 Whatever may happen ‘obituarily’ or otherwise..to the organisation and officials making these ‘distributions’, they have not ceased.
1974 Daily Tel. 22 Feb. (Colour Suppl.) 7/3 Perhaps the generation of the Seventies, will be willing to accept the notion of dressing the deceased (obituarily) in the same garments he wore in life, gravy stains and all.
2013 R. D. Brown Dying on Job (Notes) 294 Quoting obituarily from the writings of the late Gore Vidal.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1701