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View synonyms for

epitaph

[ep-i-taf, -tahf]

noun

  1. a commemorative inscription on a tomb or mortuary monument about the person buried at that site.

  2. a brief poem or other writing in praise of a deceased person.



verb (used with object)

  1. to commemorate in or with an epitaph.

epitaph

/ ˌɛpɪˈtæfɪk, -ˌtæf, ˈɛpɪˌtɑːf /

noun

  1. a commemorative inscription on a tombstone or monument

  2. a speech or written passage composed in commemoration of a dead person

  3. a final judgment on a person or thing

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • epitaphic adjective
  • epitaphist noun
  • epitaphless adjective
  • unepitaphed adjective
  • ˈ辱ˌٲ󾱲 noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of epitaph1

1350–1400; Middle English epitaphe < Latin epitaphium < Greek 辱á󾱴Dz over or at a tomb, equivalent to epi- epi- + á ( os ) tomb + -ion noun, adj. suffix
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Word History and Origins

Origin of epitaph1

C14: via Latin from Greek epitaphion, from epitaphios over a tomb, from epi- + taphos tomb
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The coroner’s report and epitaph of American democracy will likely include a sentence that “the Democrats were very polite as American democracy died.”

From

Despite all this Mr Varvill's own epitaph for the business overshadows technological milestones.

From

It was his epitaph, and I think it sums up the whole quest for happiness.

From

The more I sit with Ruscha’s epitaphs, the less unexpected his love for plants becomes.

From

After the manner in which England’s campaign was conducted, it was both comedy gold and the perfect epitaph for those few weeks in France.

From

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epit.epitasis