What Is an Obituary? Meaning and Differences
An obituary is a piece of writing that announces a death and tells the story of the person's life, including their background, family and service details. It differs from a death notice, which is a short paid announcement giving only the basic facts and service information. Obituaries are longer, written as a life story rather than a list.
To answer what is an obituary in plain terms: it is a published piece of writing that announces that someone has died and tells the story of their life. It gives readers the essential facts, name, age, date of death and place of residence, and then goes further, describing who the person was, what they did, who survives them, and when and where the service will be held. That combination of announcement and life story is what makes an obituary different from every shorter form of death announcement.
What is an obituary, exactly?
An obituary has three jobs. First, it informs: it tells people who may not have heard the news that the person has died. Second, it records: it sets down the main facts of a life in a public place, where family and future generations can find them. Third, it honours: it picks out the work, relationships and qualities that defined the person, in words the family is comfortable seeing in print.
A typical obituary contains the full name, age, date of death, and city and state of residence. It then gives a short biography: place of birth, schooling, career, military service if any, marriage and family, and interests or community roles. It lists surviving family and, often, family members who died earlier. It ends with the service details and any donation wishes. Most newspaper obituaries run 200 to 300 words, while online versions can be longer.
The tone is usually respectful and warm, but it does not have to be formal. Some families write a solemn announcement, and others write a warmer tribute full of personality. Either approach works, as long as the facts are accurate and the wording is something the family is comfortable with.
Obituary vs death notice
The confusion between these two terms is the most common question about obituaries, and the distinction is simple once it is stated. A death notice is a short paid announcement that gives the basic facts of a death and the funeral or memorial service details. A family or funeral home writes it and pays to have it published, usually in a newspaper. It reads like a classified announcement: name, age, date of death, service details, and donation information, with little or no life story.
An obituary is longer and tells the life story as well as the facts. Traditionally it was written by a newspaper journalist and published as an editorial article alongside other news articles. Today the line has blurred: families usually write or submit the obituary themselves, often with help from the funeral home, and newspapers publish it in their obituary section. In everyday speech, people use the two words for either format, and even some newspapers call their paid announcements section the obituary section. Knowing the strict definitions still helps, because it tells you what to ask for: a short paid notice needs only facts and service details, while a full obituary needs a life story too.
| Death notice | Obituary | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Short, usually a few lines to a short paragraph | Longer, usually 200 to 300 words in print, more online |
| Content | Basic facts and service details only | Facts plus a life story, family, and personal details |
| Who writes it | Family or funeral home | Traditionally a journalist; today usually the family, often with funeral home help |
| Cost | Paid, usually charged by the publication | Newspaper versions usually paid; funeral home and online versions often included or low cost |
| Purpose | Announce the death and the service | Announce the death, record a life, and honour the person |
Obituary vs memorial tribute and eulogy
Two other formats are often confused with obituaries. A memorial tribute is a longer piece published online, often on a memorial website or social media, where family and friends can add photos, stories and messages over time. It has no fixed length and no publication deadline, and it can keep growing after the funeral. An obituary is a finished, published announcement, while a memorial tribute is an open, ongoing page.
A eulogy is different again: it is a speech given at the funeral or memorial service, not a published text. A eulogy can be long, personal and spoken in the speaker’s own voice, with stories that would be too long or too informal for print. Some families adapt parts of a eulogy into the obituary, but the two serve different moments: the obituary informs the wider public, and the eulogy speaks to the people in the room.
Who writes an obituary, and who decides what goes in
In the traditional newspaper model, a staff journalist wrote the obituary as an editorial article, and the newspaper decided whether a person merited one. That model still exists for prominent people, but for most families today the process is different: a close family member writes the obituary, often a spouse, adult child or sibling, with help from the funeral home, and submits it for publication. The family decides the content, within the publication’s rules on length, deadlines and charges.
Whoever writes it should have the facts checked by at least one other family member before submission. Names, dates, family relationships and service details are the parts most often corrected after publication, and a correction after print reaches far fewer readers than the original error. If family members disagree about what should be included, settle the disagreement before submitting, not after, because published wording is hard to take back.
Where obituaries appear, and what each place requires
Newspapers remain the best known home for obituaries, but they come with rules: word limits, submission deadlines, proofing processes and charges that often rise with length. Always check the paper’s own submission page or call its obituary department before you submit, and ask whether it sends a proof for review.
Funeral home websites usually publish an obituary as part of their service. These versions can be longer, can include photos, and often stay online as a lasting memorial page. Online memorial sites work similarly, and many let friends and family add messages and photos. Social media spreads the news fastest, but a social post is not a substitute for a proper obituary: it reaches only the poster’s own network, and it is easily lost in a feed.
A practical pattern many families follow is to publish a short version in the newspaper, a full version on the funeral home website, and a link to the full version shared with friends and family. That way the print cost stays manageable, the full story is preserved somewhere public, and everyone who needs the service details can find them.
A short history of the form, in brief
The word obituary comes from the Latin for a record of a death, and printed death announcements have existed for centuries, from church registers and early newspapers to today’s online memorial pages. What has changed most is who writes them and where they appear: from staff journalists writing about public figures, to families writing about their own loved ones and publishing in newspapers, on funeral home sites, and online. The core job has not changed: to announce a death, record a life, and give people the information they need to pay their respects.
Sources for this page
The definitions of obituary and death notice follow Legacy.com’s published explanation of the difference between the two, fetched on 2026-10-24, and the length and content guidance follows Grammarly’s obituary writing guide, also fetched on 2026-10-24. For the step-by-step writing process, see how to write an obituary. For completed samples, see obituary examples, and for a blank structure, see our obituary template.
Frequently asked questions
What is an obituary in simple terms?
An obituary is a published announcement of a death that also tells the story of the person's life. It gives the name, age and date of death, a short biography, the surviving family, and the service details, so that readers learn both that the person died and who they were.
Is an obituary the same as a death notice?
No. A death notice is a short paid announcement giving only the basic facts and the service details. An obituary is longer and tells the life story as well. In everyday speech the two words are often swapped, but newspapers and funeral professionals use them for different things.
Who writes an obituary?
Traditionally, a newspaper journalist wrote obituaries as editorial articles. Today, families usually write or submit the obituary themselves, often with help from the funeral home, and the newspaper publishes it. Online memorial sites publish family-written obituaries directly.
Where do obituaries appear?
Obituaries appear in newspapers, on funeral home websites, and on online memorial sites, and they are often shared on social media. A newspaper version may be short because of word limits and charges, while the funeral home or online version can be longer and include photos.
Do you have to pay to publish an obituary?
It depends on where it appears. Funeral home websites usually publish an obituary as part of their service, and online memorial pages are often free or low cost. Newspapers usually charge, often by the word or line, so confirm the cost before you submit a long version.