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

The library had the new county death index for the 1960s, so this was a far more efficient path than walking Washington County’s cemeteries again. —Literary Hub, 14 May 2026

The Murdaugh family's former housekeeper drove to the grocery store to get some items for dinner, then found herself at the cemetery where Maggie and Paul are buried to reflect on the news. —Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026

The battleship, now a military cemetery reachable only by boat, has stood as one of the nation’s most hallowed sites since Japan bombed and sank it in 1941. —Jim Mustian, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026

Last year, the cemetery was rededicated on Veterans Day after a months-long restoration project conducted by the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office’s Labor Detail Unit. —Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 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"