cemetery

noun

cem·​e·​tery ˈse-mə-ˌter-ē 

-ˌte-rē

plural cemeteries

: a burial ground

Synonyms of cemetery

• graveyard

Examples of cemetery in a Sentence

many of the soldiers who died in the battle are buried in a cemetery nearby

Recent Examples on the Web

Other priorities include allowing school trips to the cemetery for Hartford Public Schools students to learn about Hartford’s rich heritage and cultural past. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026

According to Jewish tradition, worn out sacred texts can’t be casually discarded; instead, they are stored in a geniza, a repository usually located within a synagogue or buried at a Jewish cemetery. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026

After days of cleaning graves and decorating headstones with marigolds, the cemetery here in San Andrés Mixquic is filled with the scent of copal incense and burning candles. — Rocio Muñoz Ledo, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2026

His Rocky Mountain ambitions, however, have left behind an increasingly crowded cemetery of Prime Time pet-phrases. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cimitery, from Anglo-French cimiterie, from Late Latin coemeterium, from Greek koimētērion sleeping chamber, burial place, from koiman to put to sleep; akin to Greek keisthai to lie, Sanskrit śete he lies

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cemetery

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• apiary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• bacillary
• beriberi
• bestiary
• breviary
• budgetary

Kids Definition

cemetery

noun

cem·​e·​tery ˈsem-ə-ˌter-ē 

plural cemeteries

: a place where dead people are buried : graveyard

Etymology

Middle English cimitery "cemetery," from early French cimiterie (same meaning), from Latin coemeterium "cemetery," from Greek koimētērion "sleeping chamber, burial place," from koiman "to put to sleep"