What is the difference between passed away and died

Talking about death can be uncomfortable. At times, using those softer euphemisms for death can help open up a conversation about the subject. But sometimes, speaking more directly might be the better option.

Instead, it was a literal description of what the majority of people believed happened when the body ceased to live. Today, beliefs about what happens when we die are less cut-and-dried. Examples: "He died a hero's death. Examples: "I'm dying for a packet of crisps. Examples: "The day our sister eloped, she died to our mother. Examples: "He died a little inside each time she refused to speak to him. Examples: "If anyone sees me wearing this ridiculous outfit, I'll die. Examples: "When I found out my two favorite musicians would be recording an album together, I literally planned my own funeral arrangements and died.

Examples: "My car died in the middle of the freeway this morning. At a funeral I recently attended, the minister referred several times to the man having "died," but the obituary printed in the funeral bulletin distributed at the service referred to the man having "passed away.

I decided to explore the matter. I started by interviewing several funeral directors. They were all very helpful. I asked each one when the change took place. They all answered the same: they had never been asked that question before and had never given the matter any thought, but everyone agreed the standard for today among funeral homes is "passed away.

One person pointed out that no one had made a rule or said from now on this is the way it will be--instead, it just seemed to evolve. I spent time going through copies of funeral notices, obituaries, and news stories that I have saved about my family members. I found that the change from "died" to "passed away" began in the early s.

The change was gradual, and did not occur at the same time among all funeral homes or newspapers. The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. Online access to a legendary resource Log In or Sign Up ». Merriam-Webster's Visual Dictionaries.

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