cremate

verb

cre·​mate ˈkrē-ˌmāt  kri-ˈmāt 

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

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

The Bureau of Land Management confirmed to USA TODAY that cremated human remains were found outside Searchlight, Nevada. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025

They were both cremated on July 23. —Danielle Bacher, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin crematus, past participle of cremare to burn up, cremate

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cremate

verb

cre·​mate ˈkrē-ˌmāt  kri-ˈmāt 

cremated; cremating

: to burn (as a dead body) to ashes

cremation

kri-ˈmā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

cremate

transitive verb

cre·​mate ˈkrē-ˌmāt  kri-ˈ 

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