funeral director
Americannoun
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a person, usually a licensed embalmer, who supervises or conducts the preparation of the dead for burial and directs or arranges funerals.
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a person who owns or operates a funeral home.
noun
Etymology
Origin of funeral director
An Americanism dating back to 1885–90
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Anyone can set up as a funeral director without formal training, registration or mandatory oversight.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
A woman who suffered a miscarriage says she was told by police ashes returned to her by funeral director Robert Bush were "animal remains".
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Undertakers in England and Wales can operate without a licence, with anybody free to set themselves up as a funeral director.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
A British funeral director faced prison Monday over a scandal that saw bodies left "stored on racks" and uncremated while relatives were handed other people's ashes, sparking calls for better regulation of the industry.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
After the brief graveside service, the funeral director handed everyone a long-stemmed flower.
From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
