exhume

verb

ex·​hume ig-ˈzüm How to pronounce exhume (audio)
igz-ˈyüm,
iks-ˈ(h)yüm How to pronounce exhume (audio)
exhumed; exhuming

transitive verb

1
: disinter
exhume a body
2
: to bring back from neglect or obscurity
exhumed a great deal of information from the archives
exhumation noun
exhumer
ig-ˈzü-mər How to pronounce exhume (audio)
igz-ˈyü-
iks-ˈ(h)yü-
noun

Examples of exhume in a Sentence

the remains of John Paul Jones were exhumed in Paris and transported with great ceremony to the U.S. Naval Academy
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 health ministry official told CNN that some of the remains appeared to have been exhumed after burial. Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025 As recently as 20 years ago, in southern Romania, a man believed to be a vampire was exhumed, and his corpse ritually mutilated. Robert Eggers, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025 Tales that rely on cheap tricks can be fun, but the ones that exhume their horrors from within powerful ideas endure. Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025 AaronP / Bauer-Griffin / Getty Images That was until 2018, when the DPAA exhumed the rest of the bodies from the USS California from Punchbowl, all unidentified, for further analysis, the group said. Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exhume

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin exhumare, from Latin ex out of + humus earth — more at ex-, humble

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exhume was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exhume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhume. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

exhume

verb
ex·​hume igz-ˈ(y)üm How to pronounce exhume (audio)
iks-ˈ(h)yüm
exhumed; exhuming
: to remove from a place of burial
exhumation noun

Medical Definition

exhume

transitive verb
exhumed; exhuming
: disinter
the body was exhumed for an autopsy

More from Merriam-Webster on exhume

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