phrase
Latin
R.I.P. (requiescat in pace)
lit. “may they rest in peace”
The standard inscription on Christian gravestones — and the universal English shorthand for 'this is dead.'
Origin
The phrase appears on Christian tombstones from at least the 8th century, and on the carved abbreviation 'R.I.P.' from roughly the 18th century onward. Originally a wish for the soul's eternal rest before the Last Judgment; the Catholic Church still uses it liturgically.
Modern usage
Universal English — both serious (genuine memorials, obituaries) and ironic ('RIP my phone battery,' 'RIP my weekend'). The phrase has fully escaped religion: most people writing 'RIP' on social media are not invoking purgatory.
In the wild
RIP to anyone who pre-ordered.— common social-media caption
Tags
death
abbreviation
tombstone