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

In fourth place with $5.6 million was "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," an original horror flick from Warner Bros about a young girl possessed by a demon in an ancient mummification ritual.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

Isidora is an example of ancient syncretism at work: a Greek woman, painted in a Roman tradition, whose burial followed Egyptian customs of mummification.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

It proposes a general model for dinosaur mummification based on clay templating, which can now be tested on other fossils that might have formed in similar ways.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2025

During the mummification process, ancient Egyptians would surround the body with pleasant smells as an important part of preparing a spirit to enter the afterlife.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2025

When Pete-ho-tep was dry and his feathers rearranged, he did look almost as good as new, and the mummification process continued.

From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder