note of condolences
1
3.6
- noun
- The teacher received many notes of condolences from students when she lost her mother.
Examples
-
I sent Jack a note of condolences after his grandmother passed away.
-
I sent Jack a note of condolence, but never received an answer.
Fiction book (2000) -
My friends wrote me a heartfelt note of condolences when my dog died.
Synonyms
110
3.7
Words or actions that show you are sorry someone has died
4
1.6
A card sent to someone to show you are sorry after a death
1
9.9
Words or actions that show sympathy to someone who has lost a loved one
Antonyms
How Personal
Surface Forms
Morphology
note + of + condolence
The meaning 'a written message expressing sympathy' is directly and compositionally derived from 'note' (a brief written message) combined with 'condolence(s)' (sympathetic expression); the linking word 'of' merely connects the two nouns. This noun + of + noun pattern is straightforward and common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The phrase note of condolences comes from the simple image of someone writing a short note to offer condolences, meaning they share another person's sorrow after a death. That's why it now means 'a written message expressing sympathy'.