sepulchre

American  

[sep-uhl-ker] / ˈsɛp əl kər /

noun

Chiefly British.

sepulchred, sepulchring

1. sepulcher.

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sepulchre British  

/ ˈsɛpəlkə /

noun

1. a burial vault, tomb, or grave

2. Also called: Easter sepulchre.  a separate alcove in some medieval churches in which the Eucharistic elements were kept from Good Friday until the Easter ceremonies

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verb

1. (tr) to bury in a sepulchre

Etymology

Origin of sepulchre

C12: from Old French sépulcre, from Latin sepulcrum, from sepelīre to bury

Explanation

There are many possible resting places for your body once you die, and a sepulcher is the best option if you want a fancy room made entirely from stone. Think it over, because you can only choose once. Crypts, mausoleums, sarcophagi, sepulchers: each one is a place to bury someone, with slight variations. A sepulcher (or if you’re British you’ll spell it sepulchre) is basically a stone room with a stone coffin where your body lies. The word comes from the Latin sepulcrum, which means “burial place,” for obvious reasons. Pronouncing sepulcher could trick you, because the ch actually sounds like a k: "SEP-ul-ker."

Example Sentences

Last month, there was an international outcry after Israeli police prevented the top Roman Catholic leader in Jerusalem from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for a private mass on Palm Sunday.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Israeli security forces imposed restrictions on access to the Holy Sepulchre in annexed east Jerusalem, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and rose from the dead.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

It is why Vice President JD Vance insisted that he visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during a recent trip to Israel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

Earlier Sunday, Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre — revered as the site of Jesus’s crucifixion — also held a service.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 24, 2024

And on each occasion she received additional names, in virtue of which she now bore the names of all the five women who were by the Cross and at the Sepulchre.

From The Story of Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland and of the new Gospel of Interpretation by Maitland, Edward