incinerate

verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsi-nə-ˌrāt 

incinerated; incinerating

transitive verb

: to cause to burn to ashes

incineration

in-ˌsi-nə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Examples of incinerate in a Sentence

The waste is incinerated in a large furnace.

Recent Examples on the Web

Local villages are actively monitoring the oceans and reefs in their environment, and backlash to a recent plan from a billionaire Australian to build a giant plant to incinerate rubbish in Fiji was loud and well organized, says Singh. —Michelle Duff, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026

And, that the equivalent of a truckload of clothing is being incinerated or dumped in a landfill every second. —Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026

Photograph by Serhiy Morgunov The drone’s explosion incinerated the doors of Nataliia’s apartment. —Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026

The bathroom is accessed from the kitchen via a pocket door and contains a shower (with a curtain or optional glass enclosure), a sink, and a choice of flushing, composting, or incinerating toilet, plus a washer/dryer. —Adam Williams april 25, New Atlas, 25 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin incineratus, past participle of incinerare, from Latin in- + ciner-, cinis ashes; akin to Greek konis dust, ashes

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incinerate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

incinerate

verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsin-ə-ˌrāt 

incinerated; incinerating

: to burn to ashes

incineration

-ˌsin-ə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

incinerate

transitive verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsin-ə-ˌrāt 

incinerated; incinerating

: to cause to burn to ashes