undertaker

noun

un·​der·​tak·​er

ˌən-dər-ˈtā-kər,

sense 2 is

ˈən-dər-ˌtā-kər 

1

: one who undertakes : one who takes the risk and management of business : entrepreneur

2

: one whose business is to prepare the dead for burial and to arrange and manage funerals

3

: an Englishman taking over forfeited lands in Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries

Did you know?

You may wonder how the word undertaker made the transition from "one who undertakes" to "one who makes a living in the funeral business." The latter meaning descends from the use of the word to mean "one who takes on business responsibilities." In the 18th century, a funeral-undertaker was someone who undertook, or managed, a funeral business. There were many undertakers in those days, undertaking all sorts of businesses, but as time went on undertaker became specifically identified with the profession of arranging burial. Today, funeral director is more commonly used, but undertaker still appears.

Synonyms

• funeral director
• mortician

Examples of undertaker in a Sentence

the undertaker wore black clothes and a solemn expression

Recent Examples on the Web

That can vary widely, though: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the median salary for morticians, undertakers and funeral arrangers in Rhode Island is $84,120, while the same professionals make a median salary of $33,040 in Texas. —Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025

The considerate undertakers came and carried her downstairs and out the front door, wheeled her down the drive and away. —Geoff Dyer, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025

Formaldehyde, the chemical of choice for undertakers and embalmers, is also used in products like furniture and clothes. —Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025

The thickets contain police officers, undertakers, insurance agents, attorneys, claims adjusters, benefits counsellors, human-resources workers, notaries, friends. —Joseph O’Neill, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for undertaker

• automaker
• boilermaker
• cabinetmaker
• coffeemaker
• troublemaker
• blackacre
• caretaker
• clockmaker
• dressmaker
• filmmaker
• homemaker
• icebreaker

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

undertaker

noun

un·​der·​tak·​er ˈən-dər-ˌtā-kər 

: a person whose business is to prepare the dead for burial or cremation and to take charge of funerals

Medical Definition

undertaker

noun

un·​der·​tak·​er ˈən-dər-ˌtā-kər 

: an individual whose business is to prepare the dead for burial and to arrange and manage funerals

called also mortician