noun
Other Word Forms
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
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"Taste of Salt" by Frances Collins, Chapters 13–18
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Doctor Faustus
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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.
It was later taken to a mosque where relatives and mourners offered prayers before carrying it through the streets for burial.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
Her family had waited in agony for a month, praying that even a small part of her body would be recovered so they could hold a proper burial.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
Police and local officials later intervened, persuading Munda to return the remains to the burial ground and assuring him his request would be addressed.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
Most existing Celtic objects—found in bogs and burial mounds—are durable works in stone, bone, glass, metal and terracotta with rare survivals in wood, leather and cloth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
It wasn’t a proper burial, but the dirt was too hard for much else.
From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate
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.
