funeral

1 of 2

adjective

fu·​ner·​al ˈfyü-nə-rəl How to pronounce funeral (audio)
ˈfyün-rəl
Synonyms of funeralnext
1
: of, relating to, or constituting a funeral
funeral rites
2
: funereal sense 2

funeral

2 of 2

noun

1
: the observances held for a dead person usually before burial or cremation
2
chiefly dialectal : a funeral sermon
3
: a funeral procession
4
: an end of something's existence
5
: a situation for which one will have to suffer the consequences
If you flunk, it's your funeral.

Synonyms of funeral

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of funeral in a Sentence

Adjective a slow and heavy funeral song Noun Only family attended the funeral. His funeral will be held on Friday. His cousin made the funeral arrangements.
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.
Adjective
The killings wiped out members from four generations, said Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and family friend who set up an online fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and other expenses and was authorized to release the details. — David K. Li, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026 The Daily Mail reported that Andrew remains on a confidential government list of royal family members with funeral plans prepared in advance. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
Mukunda Rijal said his cousins and their daughters had not been found, prompting the family to perform a symbolic funeral for them. — Shristi Kafle, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 As of Tuesday afternoon, a GoFundMe set up to aid the family with funeral costs had accrued more than $60,000. — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for funeral

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Late Latin funeralis, from Latin funer-, funus funeral (noun)

Noun

Middle English funerelles (plural), from Middle French funerailles (plural), from Medieval Latin funeralia (plural), from Late Latin, neuter plural of funeralis, adjective

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of funeral was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing funeral

Browse Nearby Words

funebrious
funeral
funeral car
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Funeral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/funeral. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

funeral

noun
fu·​ner·​al
ˈfyün-(ə-)rəl
: the ceremonies held for a dead person (as before burial)
funeral adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on funeral

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about funeral

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All