1.
the war dead; those who died in war
People who lost their lives in a war, typically referring to soldiers killed in battle but sometimes extended to all war casualties. Used in formal and commemorative contexts.
戦没者を追悼する。
To mourn the war dead.
毎年八月に戦没者追悼式が行われる。
A memorial ceremony for the war dead is held every August.
首相は戦没者墓苑を訪れ、花束を捧げた。
The Prime Minister visited the cemetery for the war dead and laid a bouquet of flowers.
Composed of 戦 (war, battle), 没 (to pass away, literally "to sink"), and the suffix 者 (person). The kanji 没 is used in formal contexts for death, especially in obituaries and memorial inscriptions. 戦没者 is a solemn, formal word found in news coverage, government statements, and the names of monuments and ceremonies — it is not used in casual conversation.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 戦没者追悼式: memorial ceremony for the war dead
- 戦没者墓苑: cemetery for the war dead
- 戦没者慰霊: consolation of the spirits of the war dead
- 戦没者を悼む: to mourn the war dead
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 戦死者: those killed in battle — more specifically, those who died fighting
- 犠牲者: victim — broader; can refer to any cause of death or harm
- 英霊: heroic spirits of the war dead — emotionally charged, honorific term