bereavement
noun
be·reave·ment
bi-ˈrēv-mənt 
bē-
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
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
The sergeant tells Reyes that Stabler has taken bereavement leave; Reyes notes that’s extremely unlike their workaholic colleague.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 June 2025
The Rockies also reinstated right-hander Zach Agnos from the bereavement list.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 June 2025
The prince, who succeeded Diana as the organization's patron in 2009, spent about an hour meeting with families and children supported by the charity, as well as volunteers, long-standing supporters, and local staff who provide its bereavement support services.
—Simon Perry, People.com, 5 Feb. 2025
Tyler Kinley — filling in for closer Zach Agnos, who's on bereavement leave after the death of his grandfather — pitched a perfect ninth Wednesday to secure his second save.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereavement
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Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 June 2025
The Rockies also reinstated right-hander Zach Agnos from the bereavement list.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 June 2025
The prince, who succeeded Diana as the organization's patron in 2009, spent about an hour meeting with families and children supported by the charity, as well as volunteers, long-standing supporters, and local staff who provide its bereavement support services.
—Simon Perry, People.com, 5 Feb. 2025
Tyler Kinley — filling in for closer Zach Agnos, who's on bereavement leave after the death of his grandfather — pitched a perfect ninth Wednesday to secure his second save.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereavement
Cite this Entry
“Bereavement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bereavement. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bereavement
noun
be·reave·ment
bi-ˈrēv-mənt
: the state or fact of being bereaved
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