Funeral - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT funeral /ˈfjunərəl/ /ˈfjunərəl/ IPA guide

Other forms: funerals

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.

Definitions of funeral

noun a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated “hundreds of people attended his funeral” see moresee less types: burial, entombment, inhumation, interment, sepulture the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave sky burial a traditional Tibetan funeral ritual in which the corpse is exposed to the open air to be eaten by sacred vultures type of: ceremonial, ceremonial occasion, ceremony, observance a formal event performed on a special occasion

Pronunciation US /ˈfjunərəl/ UK /ˈfjunərəl/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘funeral'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family

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