Synonyms

cremation

American

[kri-may-shuhn] / krɪˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

the act of reducing a dead body to ashes by fire, especially as a funeral rite.

The others in the family want to have a private cremation, followed by a memorial service where we scatter the ashes.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

cremations

plural

Etymology

Origin of cremation

First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin cremātiōn-, stem of cremātiō; see cremate ( def. ), -ion ( def. )

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:

cremation cremations

This isn’t a case against cremation, which the Catholic Church recognizes as legitimate and reverent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Anderson was not given permission to attend cremation in Letterkenny, County Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland that afternoon.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

If my trust remains unfunded, who pays the expenses of administering my estate/trust, such as attorney fees, cremation, and other costs?

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

At a cremation site in Kathmandu, the family of Mahesh Dangol prepared to bid farewell to him after delaying the funeral by a few days.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

After a very long prayer, the minister said, “Surely a simple service would do, then the cremation, just as he’d asked.”

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat

Hilliard warned that no-one who had used Legacy's cremations services "at any time can be absolutely certain they received the ashes of their loved one".

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

As part of the outpouring of solidarity from Venezuelans, many private funeral homes have offered free hearses to transport the dead, and free cremations.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

Because of those costs, more people are choosing cheaper options like direct cremations - where nobody is present - but for some, that can leave a sense that they have missed out on saying goodbye.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

“With a re-earthing, fewer coffins can be sold and fewer cremations can be made.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026

‘And what is the percentage of cremations in your business?’

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023