I've come across someone trying to write about a man who lost his wife and child to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Is there any term like "widower" or "orphan" but for describing someone who has lost his wife and children?
(As far as I'm aware, his parents aren't alive.)
Best Answer
In obituaries, the terms "survived" and "survivor" are often used. I don't know of a single word to express this, but you could say that he is "the family's only survivor" or "the family is survived by only one member."