cremate

verb

cremated; cremating

transitive verb

: to subject to cremation
especially : to reduce (a dead body) to mostly tiny bits of bones resembling ash through exposure to flame and intense heat followed by pulverization of bone fragments
cremate a dead body

Examples of cremate in a Sentence

He wants to be cremated when he dies.
Recent Examples on the Web Researchers said it should be associated with the Białowieża people, a Lusatian urnfield culture that cremated the bones of its deceased and buried them in urns. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024 The parents of a baby decapitated during childbirth in Georgia last year say hospital staff encouraged the couple to have their son cremated instead of being sent to a funeral home, according to reports. Pilar Arias, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2024 The medical examiner’s office said, per KGW, that the mistake happened because the deceased person had Chase’s wallet containing the temporary Oregon driver’s license, adding that Chase’s family declined to view the body before it was cremated. David Chiu, Peoplemag, 11 Jan. 2024 After her death, Connor Bowman attempted to obstruct an autopsy and demanded that she be cremated immediately, police said. Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024 These companies specialize in memorial services and had plans to transport cremated human remains to the moon as part of their payload. The Arizona Republic, 5 Jan. 2024 Betty Bowman was scheduled to be cremated, but that was halted after the examiner’s office learned of possible suspicious circumstances. Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 5 Jan. 2024 Several families who hired Return to Nature to cremate their relatives have told The Associated Press that the FBI confirmed their remains were among the decaying bodies. CBS News, 12 Jan. 2024 MacGowan’s body will later be returned to Tipperary to be cremated, the Irish Independent reported. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cremate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin crematus, past participle of cremare to burn up, cremate

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cremate was in 1874

Dictionary Entries Near cremate

Cite this Entry

“Cremate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cremate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cremate

verb
cremated; cremating
: to burn (as a dead body) to ashes
cremation noun

Medical Definition

cremate

transitive verb
cre·​mate ˈkrē-ˌmāt How to pronounce cremate (audio) kri-ˈ How to pronounce cremate (audio)
cremated; cremating
: to subject to cremation
especially : to reduce (a dead body) to mostly tiny bits of bones resembling ash through exposure to flame and intense heat followed by pulverization of bone fragments

More from Merriam-Webster on cremate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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