funeral

American  

[fyoo-ner-uhl] / ˈfju nər əl /

noun

funerals plural

1. the ceremonies for a dead person prior to burial or cremation; obsequies.

2. a funeral procession.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a funeral.

   funeral services; funeral expenses.

idioms

1. be someone's funeral, to have unpleasant consequences for someone.

   If you don't finish the work on time, it will be your funeral!

funeral British  

/ ˈfjuːnərəl /

noun

1. 1. a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated

   2. ( as modifier )

      a funeral service

2. a procession of people escorting a corpse to burial

3. informal worry; concern; affair

   that's your funeral

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funeral More Idioms  

1. see it's your funeral.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prefuneral
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• funerals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of funeral

1350–1400; Middle English (adj.) < Medieval Latin fūnerālis, equivalent to Latin fūner-, stem of fūnus funeral rites + -ālis -al ¹; (noun), from early 16th cent., probably < Middle French funerailles < Medieval Latin fūnerālia, neuter plural of fūnerālis

Explanation

A funeral is a ceremony to bury or cremate the dead. If you go to a funeral, wear black and try not to seem like you're having fun. Funeral comes from the Latin root fūnus, for "dead body," and so a funeral is the ritual that surrounds taking care of a dead body. Depending on the dead person's beliefs, there will often be a representative of a religion there to honor them in a traditional way. Sometimes we use funeral for dead things other than dead people. If you just gave a really bad party, you could call it a funeral for your social life.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

funeral funerals

The vote came hours after Zelensky met Trump at the White House and attended the Washington funeral of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Kyiv's most vocal allies in Congress.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

“Nothing of consequence happened in this capital without Lindsey Graham knowing about it,” the president said at the funeral service.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

The remains of a stillborn baby were left on the floor of a funeral home for almost two years and his grieving parents given the wrong ashes, a court has heard.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Following the meetings, all three men attended the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who up until his death on July 11 was a staunch supporter of both Ukraine and Israel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

On Pennsylvania Avenue, thousands of people jostled for a place from which they would see the funeral procession pass as it left the White House.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

For some grieving families, AI content provides a way to mourn their loved ones; in some cases, deepfakes featuring deceased people are used at funerals.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

Some families may have traditional funerals, while others might opt for a “celebration of life,” which can be a joyous event with music and visuals.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026

Other charitable funds help maintain the department’s fleet of helicopters, support the spouses and children of slain officers and promote the official police department band that performs at graduations, funerals and other functions.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026

‘There are probably countless weddings, funerals, reunions, weekend getaways and, yes — long distance relationships — that Spirit enabled’ with its flights under $100.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

For years Aunt Florentine and I had sat together at her window and watched folks arrive for viewings and visitations and funerals.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Related Words

• burial
• cremation