death certificate

American

noun

a certificate signed by a doctor, giving pertinent identifying information, as age and sex, about a deceased person and certifying the time, place, and cause of death.

death certificate British

noun

a legal document issued by a qualified medical practitioner certifying the death of a person and stating the cause if known

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If so, must I provide a recent death certificate?

From MarketWatch

You could be asked for probate documents, a letter from the executor and/or a death certificate to confirm this cash is from a legal source.

From MarketWatch

In most other cases, you would be required to submit a certified copy of the death certificate to a financial institution in order to transfer or deposit inherited funds into your account.

From MarketWatch

The death certificate said he died of a heart attack.

From Barron's

I’ve given the bank all the POAs and the trust documents, as well as my stepfather’s death certificate.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023