Considering the importance of finitude for human existence, this paper aimed to investigate the relationships between meaning of life and conceptions of death. The participants of this study were 190 male and female university students, from Law, Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Psychology courses. Most of the participants were female (68,9%) and Catholic (61,6%). The Purpose in Life Test, the Death Perspective Questionnaire and a socio-demographic questionnaire were used to collect the data. The results showed positive correlations between existential emptiness and concepts of death as failure, pain and loneliness, and abandonment. On the other hand, existential emptiness was correlated negatively with the concept of death as a natural end. Such results support the teleological conception of Viktor Frankl, which asserts that the conscience of finitude puts in motion the will to find a life purpose. We conclude that existential variables are relevant to understand the conceptions people have about death.