mummification

American  

[muhm-i-fi-kay-shuhn] / ˌmʌm ɪ fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of making a dead body into a mummy, as by embalming and drying.

2. the act or process of becoming or causing something to become dried and shriveled but otherwise intact, like a mummy.

3. the act of preserving an idea, institution, or custom that is no longer useful or relevant.

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Explanation

Mummification is an old-fashioned method of preparing a dead body so that it doesn't decay. Mummification was commonly used in ancient Egypt, not so much these days. Although the earliest examples of mummification were accidental, with bodies being preserved because of very dry, desert conditions, it soon became religiously important in ancient Egypt and was done deliberately. Ancient Egyptians believed that a happy afterlife depended in part on careful mummification. The word mummification is formed with the suffix -fication, "a making or causing," and mummy, from the Arabic mumiyah, "embalmed body," from the Persian root mum, "wax."

Example Sentences

Mummification has fascinated historians and scientists for centuries, yet many details about how ancient Egyptians preserved the dead have remained unclear.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

Mummification is a well-known phenomenon in which a piglet dies during gestation, dries out, and is later born shrunken and leathery, often alongside healthy littermates.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 21, 2023

Mummification was practiced by a variety of cultures in Peru before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2023

So we rounded up a few highlights: Egyptian mummies Mummification in ancient Egypt started by accident.

From The Verge • Jun. 13, 2017

Mummification was never universal in Egypt, and there was a time when it was not practised at all.

From The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia by Sayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry)