thanatology UK /θan.əˈtɒl.əd͡ʒ.i/US /ˌθæ.nəˈtɑl.əd͡ʒ.i/ noun1 •The scientific study of death and the practices associated with it, including the study of the needs of the terminally ill and their families.The work is part of a growing field called comparative thanatology — the study of how different animals react to death. — 2022 formsthanatologies