Bereavement
The state of sorrow and mourning after the death of a loved one; the period of mourning that follows a loss.
nounBereavement
The state of sorrow and mourning after the death of a loved one; the period of mourning that follows a loss.
nounImagine This
Imagine a person holding a stack of sympathy cards in a quiet, dim house. A calendar on the wall shows days marked off since the death, and every room carries a subtle scent of flowers placed at a grave. The person sits with a hand on a photo, tears streaming, as friends softly offer support and the world feels heavy with mourning.
Sounds Like
bษ-REEV-mษnt
Looks Like
Looks like bereave + ment; visually resembles the root word bereave (to deprive) with the noun-forming suffix -ment.
Remember This
Bereavement refers specifically to the period of mourning after a death. It can be experienced as a phase or state, and you can be 'in bereavement' or take 'bereavement leave' from work. Grief is the broader emotional response to loss; bereavement is the condition resulting from that loss.
Other Forms
Connect With
grief, mourning, loss, sorrow, sorrowful, mourning period
Note
Do not confuse with grief or mourning as separate conceptsโbereavement is the circumstance of loss, while grief is the emotional response. Commonly paired with 'leave' (bereavement leave) in workplace or school policies.