news of a death; obituary
Formal term for a death notice or the news that someone has died. Often used in newspapers or official announcements.
I learned of his death through the newspaper.
News of my mentor's death arrived.
訃報が届く。
A death notice arrives.
I was at a loss for words upon hearing the sudden news of the death.
The newspaper reported the death of the former minister.
訃報 means a notice of someone's death, while 誤報 means a report that turns out to be false; they only share the ending 報 and a similar sound.
Sino-Japanese compound of 訃 (fu, 'obituary') and 報 (hō, 'report'). The character 訃 is composed of 言 (word) and 卜 (divination), originally meaning 'to announce a death'.