cremation

noun

cre·​ma·​tion kri-ˈmā-shən 

plural cremations

1

a

: the process of reducing a dead body to mostly tiny bits of bone resembling ash that involves exposing the body to flame and intense heat followed by pulverization of bone fragments

And while I do not conceive of an afterlife, I do conceive a strange, attenuated, out-of-the-body experience in which I'm somehow tenuously present at my burial or cremation.

—Rosemary Dinnage

… funeral directors say family traditions are changing, leading to an increase in cremation rates.

—Matthew Waite

This week the Vatican issued a directive not to scatter the ashes of loved ones after cremation, and instructed followers to only store them in places approved by the Church.

—Mandy Johnston

b

: alkaline hydrolysis

—usually used following an adjective or an attributive noun

The reason why flameless cremation or cremation using alkaline hydrolysis is better is that it releases 50 kgs of carbon. If you opt for the traditional method of cremation, close to 250 kgs of carbon is released at one time.

—Vishal Sharma

In a water cremation, human remains are placed within a chamber filled with about 70 to 90 gallons of water, into which bases like sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide are added.

—Bennet Goldstein

2

: the remains of the cremation process

In Besik Bay, the sandy cove facing the island of Tenedos in the Aegean, a cemetery was found where a variety of foreign peoples were buried … . Included were cremations from the thirteenth century B.C.

—Caroline Alexander

Examples of cremation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By year’s end, only three cremations had occurred out of 597,357 deaths in the UK, but those numbers soon began multiplying. —Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2024

In the aftermath of his death, family members created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for Kaidan’s cremation, funeral service, and headstone. —Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024

Traditional embalming, cremation and burials have a large environmental footprint — the carbon dioxide emitted from one cremation is equivalent to a nearly 500-mile car ride. —Sophia Liang, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024

This process is often referred to as water cremation and is understood to be a greener form of disposition. —Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024

Google said that Orlando address housed a Sherwin-Williams paint store as well as a place for cremation equipment. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024

The team from this study has started to apply these techniques to a large sample of 1,000 cremation burials. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 Aug. 2023

That differed from the standard practice of the era, which was cremation. —Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024

However, Berna says scientists do not know whether those cremations were intentional or accidental. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin cremātiōn-, cremātiō "a burning," from cremāre "to destroy by fire, burn as an offering to a god, cremate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing cremation

• flameless cremation
• water cremation

Medical Definition

cremation

noun

cre·​ma·​tion kri-ˈmā-shən 

1

a

: the process of reducing a dead body to mostly tiny bits of bone resembling ash that involves exposing the body to flame and intense heat followed by pulverization of bone fragments

b

: alkaline hydrolysis

—usually used following an adjective or noun

The reason why flameless cremation or cremation using alkaline hydrolysis is better; is that it releases 50 kgs of carbon. If you opt for the traditional method of cremation, close to 250 kgs of carbon is released at one time.

—Vishal Sharma

In a water cremation, human remains are placed within a chamber filled with about 70 to 90 gallons of water, into which bases like sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide are added.

—Bennet Goldstein

2

: the remains of the cremation process