funerary

American  

[fyoo-nuh-rer-ee] / ˈfju nəˌrɛr i /

adjective

1. of or relating to a funeral or burial.

   a funerary urn.

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funerary British  

/ ˈfjuːnərərɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or for a funeral

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Etymology

Origin of funerary

First recorded in 1685–95, funerary is from the Late Latin word fūnerārius of, relating to a funeral. See funeral, -ary

Explanation

Use the word funerary for things that have to do with funerals or other burial ceremonies. Ancient Egyptian pharaohs had complex funerary rituals, including mummification, to ensure they would be immortal. Funerary shares a root with funeral, the Latin funus, which means "burial rites," and also "death or corpse." When people talk about funerary practices, they mean the different ways cultures, religions, or even individual families mark the death of loved ones and relatives. Funerary traditions can involve burial, cremation, wearing black, singing hymns, wailing, displaying photos of the deceased person, saying prayers, or dancing.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

funerary

Ghassan Daghlas, the governor of the Nablus region, which includes Tell, attended a funerary prayer at the Nabuls hospital where the bodies lay before the burial, his office said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

Excavations uncovered a funerary complex consisting of three limestone burial chambers containing Roman-era mummies and decorated wooden sarcophagi.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

Comprising 30 objects, the one-room presentation occupies the hallowed funerary gallery at the far-west end of the superb Egyptian wing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

These 4,600-year-old funerary boats, made of cedar and acacia, were intended to transport the king into the afterlife.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2025

Usually sages did not perform funerary rites; that responsibility typically fell to village greenwitches or, in the cities, to specialists.

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo