burial

noun

buri·​al ˈber-ē-əl 

ˈbe-rē-

also ˈbər-ē-

often attributive

1

: grave, tomb

2

: the act or process of burying

Synonyms of burial

• funeral
• interment
• entombment
• burying

Examples of burial in a Sentence

They prepared the body for burial.

She wanted to give him a proper burial.

Did you attend the burial?

The law prohibits the burial of toxic substances without special permits.

Recent Examples on the Web

The lengthy delay to the funeral has raised questions about how Khamenei's remains have been preserved, as Islamic tradition, anaylsts say, generally calls for prompt burial and discourages chemical embalming. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026

According to Jackson’s account, Fong said her father, the village headman, removed large pieces of wreckage from the crash site and organized the burial of McKinney’s body right there. — Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 1 July 2026

There are existing methods for cleaning skeletal remains, such as burial, digestive enzymes, or chemical treatments. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026

In Bunia and Rwampara, 75 decontaminations and 57 safe and dignified burials have been carried out by teams directly supported by UNICEF and partners. — Maryanne Murray Buechner, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English beriel, berial, back-formation from beriels (taken as a plural), from Old English byrgels; akin to Old Saxon burgisli tomb, Old English byrgan to bury — more at bury

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing burial

• burial ground
• burial plot

Rhymes for burial

• actuarial
• adversarial
• secretarial
• urticarial
• aerial
• areal
• ariel
• antimalarial
• biserial
• filarial
• malarial
• subaerial

Kids Definition

burial

noun

buri·​al ˈber-ē-əl 

: the act of burying