bereave

Bereave is a transitive verb meaning to deprive someone of a loved one through death, or more generally to deprive someone of something cherished or valued. In everyday use it most often refers to the death of a family member or close friend, as in “They were bereaved by the loss of their mother,” or in more formal writing about a community or institution. The verb can also appear in passive constructions: “He was bereaved when his wife died.” The related adjective bereaved describes a person who has suffered such a loss, and bereavement is the noun for the state or period of mourning that follows.

Etymology and related forms: bereave comes from Old English bereafian “to deprive, rob,” from Proto-Germanic roots; it is cognate with Dutch beroven and German berauben. The noun bereavement and the adjective bereaved developed from this root. The verb forms include bereaves (third person singular), bereaving (present participle), and bereaved (past tense and past participle).

Usage notes: bereave is relatively formal and more common in obituaries, religious or solemn prose, or literary writing. It is typically used with people as the affected party, or, less commonly, with a community or organization as the object of loss. The construction bereave someone of something is possible but less frequent than the primary sense of losing a loved one through death.

See also: bereavement, bereaved. The term highlights the experience of loss and the social and emotional consequences that follow, often shaping discussions of mourning, support, and memory.