obituary

An obituary is a published notice of a person's death, typically accompanied by a biographical summary. It serves to inform the public of the death, commemorate the person's life, and provide information about funeral or memorial arrangements.

Typical elements include the deceased's full name at death, age, date and place of death; birth date and place; a concise overview of education, career, military service, achievements, and affiliations; survivors such as spouses and children; and details of services and donations.

Obituaries are published by newspapers, funeral homes, churches, or online memorial sites. They can be written by family members, editors, or professional writers, and may appear in print, on websites, or on social media.

The term obituary is sometimes used interchangeably with death notice, but there can be a distinction: a death notice is a brief public notice announcing a death and funeral details, often paid, while an obituary is usually longer and biographical.

Ethical considerations include accuracy, sensitivity to survivors, and privacy, and some editors omit cause of death. Modern obituaries increasingly incorporate hyperlinks, photographs, and archived records, and online memorials allow community remembrances.

Historically, obituaries originated in early modern newspapers and have evolved with publishing practices; today they exist in print, digital, and social formats.