funeral

American  

[fyoo-ner-uhl] / ˈfyu nər əl /

noun

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

• prefuneral adjective

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

Example Sentences

Thousands of people missed important life events, including funerals and their own weddings, and were left scrambling to make alternate arrangements.

From BBC

But the stadium has also served as a warehouse for food supplies, and Hezbollah held the lavish funeral there for its former leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel in September 2024.

From Barron's

Low property prices in the country mean that for many, it is more affordable to entomb the ashes of relatives in an empty apartment than pay for funeral costs.

From BBC

This story contains details about human composting funeral services which some readers may find upsetting.

From BBC

In 1963 Mitford published “The American Way of Death,” an exposé of the funeral industry that turned her into a stateside celebrity, welcomed as a provocative guest on talk shows and recognized by cab drivers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• burial
• cremation