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
In 2010, Richardson and his brother, Nick, co-founded the performance management company AIM-FOR and created an online mental health support hub, called the Safety Net, which offers information and help on a range of issues from stress to bereavement.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 9 July 2025
More Ronald Martinez/Getty Images There was no announcement regarding how long Mayer will be on bereavement leave, though teams typically allow three to seven days maximum.
—Joey Copponi, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
The Red Sox placed the rookie infielder on the bereavement list Friday afternoon.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 27 June 2025
The deal further offers paid vacation, bereavement and sick days, paid holidays and two weeks’ paid paternal leave, among other language.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereavement
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James Pearce, New York Times, 9 July 2025
More Ronald Martinez/Getty Images There was no announcement regarding how long Mayer will be on bereavement leave, though teams typically allow three to seven days maximum.
—Joey Copponi, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
The Red Sox placed the rookie infielder on the bereavement list Friday afternoon.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 27 June 2025
The deal further offers paid vacation, bereavement and sick days, paid holidays and two weeks’ paid paternal leave, among other language.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 24 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 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bereavement
noun
be·reave·ment
bi-ˈrēv-mənt
: the state or fact of being bereaved
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