Lamentation
noun /ˌlæm.ənˈteɪ.ʃən/ — The passionate expression of grief or sorrow
Definition
An expression of grief, mourning, or regret — typically one that is intense, formal, or sustained. The Book of Lamentations in the Bible is structured grief.
Beyond the definition
Grief that has found its form. Lamentation is not raw weeping — it is sorrow organised into expression.
Origin & history
From Latin 'lamentatio' — from 'lamentari' (to wail, to moan). Related to 'lament' and the ancient tradition of formal mourning speech.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Her lamentation was not self-pitying — it was the formal acknowledgment of what had been lost.
The refugees' lamentation had a collective quality — each voice adding to something larger than personal grief.
A lamentation is what grief becomes when it decides it will be heard.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Lamentation” when the meaning fits your context: An expression of grief, mourning, or regret — typically one that is intense, formal, or sustained. The Book of Lamentations in the Bible is structured grief.
Synonyms
Antonyms
celebration, thanksgiving, joy
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Sustained Expression of Grief
An adult sits in a dark, quiet room with their posture indicating deep, reflective sadness, focused entirely on the presence of an empty chair.
Lamentation is the formal, sustained expression of grief. The scene captures this by visualizing the internal weight of sorrow, where the person's singular focus on the empty chair represents the ongoing, heavy, and formal processing of a loss that has no words, just a persistent, quiet, and profound mourning.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Lamentation" mean?
Lamentation is noun meaning: The passionate expression of grief or sorrow. An expression of grief, mourning, or regret — typically one that is intense, formal, or sustained. The Book of Lamentations in the Bible is structured grief.
Where does the word "Lamentation" come from?
From Latin 'lamentatio' — from 'lamentari' (to wail, to moan). Related to 'lament' and the ancient tradition of formal mourning speech.