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

In South Korea, burial space is limited, and families may lack physical locations for remembrance. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026

And while the priority should always be avoiding burial entirely—through training, terrain choices, and avalanche airbags—the SBX system offers a proven way to extend the survival window dramatically if the worst happens. —Scott Yorko, Outside, 10 Jan. 2026

In Iranian Muslim culture, dead bodies are typically washed and then covered in white cotton fabric before burial. —Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026

Authorities have threatened secret burials if family members do not comply, the group said. —Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 9 Jan. 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

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

Kids Definition

burial

noun

buri·​al ˈber-ē-əl 

: the act of burying