Which term refers to the emotion or set of emotions experienced due to a loss?

The term that describes the complex emotional response experienced due to a loss is grief. Grief encompasses a wide range of feelings, including sadness, anger, confusion, and even relief, depending on the nature of the loss. It is a multifaceted experience through which individuals process their emotions in reaction to losing someone or something significant in their lives.

While mourning usually refers to the outward expressions and rituals associated with loss, such as funerals or memorial services, grief is more about the internal emotional experience that can extend over time. Sadness is a component of grief, but it does not capture the entirety of the emotional landscape involved. Despair can arise as a part of the grieving process but is often a more profound sense of hopelessness that can occur after grief has set in, rather than being synonymous with the broader concept of grief itself. Therefore, grief is the most accurate term to describe the overall emotional experience following a loss.