burial

[ber-ee-uhl]

noun

1. the act or ceremony of burying.

2. the place of burying; grave.

burial

/ ˈbɛrɪəl /

noun

1. the act of burying, esp the interment of a dead body

Other Word Forms

• reburial noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of burial¹

First recorded in 1200–50; bury + -al ²; replacing Middle English buriel, back formation from Old English byrgels “burial place,” from byrg(an) “to bury” + -els(e), noun suffix ( riddle ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of burial¹

Old English byrgels burial place, tomb; see _bury , _-al ²

Example Sentences

Kidder and Grooms emphasize that archaeologists have never found burials or evidence of long-term houses at Poverty Point.

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We were disappointed and surprised because he always said this policy could be used for his burial expenses.

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The burial site, now used as a tomato farm, was next to a military checkpoint that served for years as a base for Assad’s soldiers.

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The head was then buried on grounds at the university's Cornwall campus in Penryn, without many people being aware of the burial.

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The team created a detailed map of ancient tomb sites across the country to look for patterns in how these burial locations changed through time.

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Related Words

• funeral 
• interment