burial

noun

buri·​al ˈber-ē-əl How to pronounce burial (audio)
ˈbe-rē-
also ˈbər-ē-
Synonyms of burialnext
often attributive
1
: grave, tomb
2
: the act or process of burying

Synonyms of burial

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Examples of burial in a Sentence

They prepared the body for burial. She wanted to give him a proper burial. Did you attend the burial? The law prohibits the burial of toxic substances without special permits.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But her ashes are now inside her daughter’s apartment because the family couldn’t afford the more than $10,000 for a burial. — Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026 Craig and Sarah have each been charged with failure to report a corpse of a child and disturbing a human burial site, both felonies, according to their respective court records. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 Pictures from the excavation show rows of stone burial chambers at the site, along with human remains, pottery and other artifacts. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Martyn Rady, Masaryk Professor Emeritus of Central European history at University College London, who was not involved in the study, agreed that Zosia was an example of a deviant burial. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for burial

Word History

Etymology

Middle English beriel, berial, back-formation from beriels (taken as a plural), from Old English byrgels; akin to Old Saxon burgisli tomb, Old English byrgan to bury — more at bury

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of burial was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing burial

Rhymes for burial

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Browse Nearby Words

buri
burial
burial case
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Cite this Entry

“Burial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burial. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

burial

noun
buri·​al ˈber-ē-əl How to pronounce burial (audio)
: the act of burying

More from Merriam-Webster on burial

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about burial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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