noun

requiem

REH-kwee-uhm

noun

A religious ceremony, especially a Catholic Mass, held to honor and pray for the dead.

"A requiem was held for the victims of the disaster."

A musical composition written for such a ceremony, or more broadly any piece composed to memorialize the dead.

"Mozart's unfinished Requiem is one of his most famous works."

"The band wrote a quiet requiem for their late drummer."

How to Use Requiem

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA memorial service or piece of music for someone who has died.

Common pairings

sing a requiem requiem mass compose a requiem

requiems plural, requiems plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Can you complete this real example?

A _____ was held for the victims of the disaster.

From Latin requiem, the opening word of the traditional Mass for the dead, from requies, "rest," from re- plus quies ("quiet, rest").

Diem