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

In the run-up to the state funeral Tuesday for the man known as “Boss Zhu,” who died last week at age 97, security tightened across Beijing and elsewhere in the country.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji was mourned on Tuesday with lowered flags and social media commemorations, ahead of a funeral for the reforming trailblazer who died last week at 97.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Fans travelled to Wales to pay an emotional tribute to legendary singer Bonnie Tyler as her funeral was held in the city she was "a fantastic ambassador for".

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Pete and Viv chastise Corey about his wayward ways—for example, his failure to show up at their mother’s funeral.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

It was the same songs as a real funeral, though without the usual sobbing after ‘The Old Rugged Cross’.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Courts have repeatedly upheld buffer-zone protections for funerals, polling sites and other places where people deserve to be left in peace; a law addressing disruptive behavior at houses of worship is on solid constitutional ground.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

But the judge demanded to know the postcodes where Bush had conducted funerals and explored whether jurors could be brought in by coach from outlying areas.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

Drastic restrictions on cross-country travel took effect Thursday in cash-strapped Cuba, with spaces on ever scarcer trains and buses now reserved for the sick, people traveling for funerals and other emergencies.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 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

“I just think that funerals are a lot like death itself. You can have your wishes, your plans, but at the end of the day, it’s out of your control.”

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

• burial
• cremation