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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The death certificate indicates Keaton, 79, has been cremated. Dan Heching, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025 The certificate also said that Keaton was cremated on Tuesday. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025 By contrast, the remains of people who died from infectious diseases—if not embalmed or cremated—are subject to tighter rules and may require a CDC import permit prior to entry. Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025 Their investigation leads them to Dayal (Soubin Shahir) and Simon (Nagarjuna), members of a crime syndicate using one of Rajasekar's inventions — a chair-like contraption with the ability to cremate bodies — for their own nefarious purposes. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cremate

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cremate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cremate. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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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