bereaved

1 of 2

adjective

be·​reaved bi-ˈrēvd How to pronounce bereaved (audio)
bē-
: suffering the death of a loved one
bereaved families of the victims

bereaved

2 of 2

noun

plural bereaved
: someone who is suffering the death of a loved one : one who is bereaved
comfort the bereaved

Examples of bereaved in a Sentence

Adjective the bereaved parents of the victims the grief of the bereaved parents seemed to be without limit
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
My thoughts are now with his bereaved family, his friends and especially his two sons. Ben Morse, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024 School counselors can also help bereaved children grieve while continuing to excel academically. Michelle S. Livings, Scientific American, 18 Dec. 2023 There are pleas for funds for birthdays, gossip about an abusive colleague who was not promoted to director after acting in that role and most recently a constantly complaining whiner bereaved of an elderly parent. Roxane Gay, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2023 At a family dinner between the two bereaved families, Emma finds the mysterious puzzle box amidst her brother's belongings and summons Steven back to the mortal realm. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 19 Oct. 2023 Is the financial aspect of this important enough to you to justify hurting your bereaved friend’s feelings by emphasizing that her status among you has changed? Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2023 By 2020, the country had adopted a national stillbirth plan, which combines the efforts of health care providers and researchers, bereaved families and advocacy groups, and lawmakers and government officials, all in the name of reducing stillbirths and supporting families. Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Jan. 2024 The idea is that the more people involved in seeking justice the better, and that all of us should have stakes in murders’ being solved, not only the police or bereaved family members like Flatt. Sarah Viren, New York Times, 5 Dec. 2023 The threat was known years earlier Nov. 19, 2023 In California, manufacturers of the synthetic material now face dozens of lawsuits from workers and bereaved families who argue the product is inherently dangerous. Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023
Noun
The bereaved can heal, suicide prevention experts say, but their pain is often underestimated. Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2022 The bereaved had reached out to Jones, who plans to help them find an attorney to settle the issue. Shelia Poole, ajc, 19 Nov. 2021 Both those who have lost a loved one and professionals serving the bereaved can get help finding government resources as well as crisis-relief services and more. Jennifer Wolff, Good Housekeeping, 17 Nov. 2020 But while the commemorations were cathartic, Chellat said, government support for the bereaved has been lacking: Some didn’t know how to find help. Karla Adam, Washington Post, 13 June 2018 Survivors and the bereaved observed the silence at the foot Grenfell Tower, where a new mosaic was unveiled. Karla Adam, Washington Post, 14 June 2018 Veterans like the Phillipses serve as guides in the immediate aftermath, introducing the bereaved of Sandy Hook to those of San Bernardino and the parents of Virginia Tech to those of Roseburg, in a loose but growing network. Vivian Yee, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bereaved.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see bereave

Noun

see bereave

First Known Use

Adjective

1702, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bereaved was in 1702

Dictionary Entries Near bereaved

Cite this Entry

“Bereaved.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bereaved. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bereaved

1 of 2 adjective
be·​reaved bi-ˈrēvd How to pronounce bereaved (audio)
: suffering the death of a loved one
bereaved family members

bereaved

2 of 2 noun
plural bereaved
: a person who is bereaved

More from Merriam-Webster on bereaved

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