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

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

I work in a funeral and cemetery office, and I can tell you this: You can’t take money with you when you die.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

“Most obituaries are written in haste with the help of a funeral director,” said James R. Hagerty, a longtime obituary writer for the Wall Street Journal.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

The mass outbreak appears to have started at the funeral for a nurse at a hospital in Bunia, in Ituri.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Kamba said one of the reasons the virus spread so quickly was the number of people exposed to the body during the funeral ceremony.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

On the morning of Miss Myrt’s funeral, we hoed weeds in the field like troopers.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• burial
• cremation