noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of burial
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 ( cf. riddle 1)
Explanation
A burial is the act of placing a dead person in a grave. It's a ritual of respect and closure. If your pet lizard dies, give him a proper burial by digging a little grave in your backyard. If you've ever been to a funeral, you've probably witnessed a burial — lowering a corpse into the ground. Though burying a body is physically like burying anything, a burial involves solemn rituals and deep respect. Often, religious services are given as the body goes under, and the family and friends gather at the burial to mourn the dead. A tombstone or other marker is erected after the burial.
Vocabulary lists containing burial
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -al, -ial
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Taste of Salt" by Frances Collins, Chapters 13–18
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Doctor Faustus
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Sato said that even after his execution, "for his family the horror continued" with his body not returned for burial in Isfahan but transferred to Kashan some 200 kilometres away.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The discovery of burial sites like the one here has long eaten away at relations between the neighbors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
It came to international attention in 2014, after local historian Catherine Corless discovered there were 796 death certificates for children and babies who died there, but no burial records.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
In Greek mythology, the volcano was associated with the burial of the giants Typhon and Enceladus after they were defeated by the Olympian gods.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
She builds coffins with any materials she can find so the dead can have a decent burial, rather than being thrown into pits in the ground.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
"A month and a half later, four people were able to be identified and there were four burials," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Archaeologists work with excavated burials; “The Road to Hel” leads to the meanings behind the objects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai told reporters on Sunday the burials followed international protocols, adding that Nepal needed "more than a thousand" freezer units to store bodies.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
Bodies placed on top of one another were found in two-thirds of the chamber's burials.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
They've been watching, waiting, maybe even counting our burials.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
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.
