cemetery

American  

[sem-i-ter-ee] / ˈsɛm ɪˌtɛr i /

noun

plural

cemeteries

1. an area set apart for or containing graves, tombs, or funeral urns, especially one that is not a churchyard; burial ground; graveyard.

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cemetery British  

/ ˈsɛmɪtrɪ /

noun

1. a place where the dead are buried, esp one not attached to a church

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Etymology

Origin of cemetery

1375–1425; late Middle English < Late Latin coemētērium < Greek koimētḗrion a sleeping place, equivalent to koimē- (variant stem of koimân to put to sleep) + -tērion suffix of locality

Compare meaning

How does cemetery compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cemetery vs. graveyard

Example Sentences

We parade through a small cemetery and around the side of St. Mary’s church.

From Literature

Artefacts from the Wendover Saxon cemetery, where 122 graves were unearthed, will soon go on display for the first time at a Discover Bucks Museum exhibition.

From BBC

To bury him in the cemetery and at least be able to visit his grave would have been a comfort, but she’d been denied that too.

From Literature

Officials said on Sunday that Israeli forces were searching for Gvili's remains in a cemetery in northern Gaza.

From Barron's

The Israeli military said the clarification of existing intelligence over the weekend had enabled the search of a cemetery near Gaza City.

From BBC

Related Words

• garden
• graveyard
• mortuary
• tomb