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

Smith’s late mother, Melody Johnson, was cremated at the Bohemian National Cemetery and Crematorium, which is also under investigation for mishandling remains in a case related to the problems at South Chicago Chapel. — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026

Following the funeral, his remains were cremated and scattered on a California hillside. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026

Stories have circulated that he was cremated or entombed in the downtown Detroit Renaissance Center office building complex. — Eric Shawn, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026

The village’s daily rhythms are ordered by the passing trains—until a train arrives from Pakistan loaded with the corpses of Sikh refugees, and the community is made to cremate the dead. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

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