funerary
Americanadjective
adjective
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.
Vocabulary lists containing funerary
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A year long consultation by the Law Commission for the UK government which has reviewed new funerary methods, including human composting, is due to be published soon.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
The Anglican Church in Wales said it had been a member of the Law Commission consultation reviewing human composting, but an official said it had "not taken a position on proposed new funerary practices".
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
His will requested its installation in a small funerary chapel, but it was placed in the church of San Francesco, known as the Tempio Malatestiano, Leon Battista Alberti’s unfinished reconstruction of Rimini’s Gothic cathedral.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
