burial

noun

buri·​al ˈber-ē-əl 

ˈbe-rē-,

 also  ˈbər-ē-

often attributive

1

: grave, tomb

2

: the act or process of burying

Synonyms

• burying
• entombing
• entombment
• inhumation
• interment
• interring
• obsequy
• obsequies
• sepulture

Examples of burial in a Sentence

They prepared the body for burial.

She wanted to give him a proper burial.

Did you attend the burial?

The law prohibits the burial of toxic substances without special permits.

Recent Examples on the Web

Researchers from the Institute of Archaeology at Poland’s University of Wroclaw discovered the burials last fall within the El Curaca archaeological site, near Peru’s Pacific coast. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025

Many of those killed in Baniyas were buried in a mass grave under the supervision of government security personnel, according to residents who were at the burials as well as photographs and videos of the site verified by The Times. —Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025

Those in the tomb were presumably part of the side that won the conflict, given the detail of the burials and the quality of the burial gifts. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025

Some hold the skulls of wild sheep, but one specific burial has the breastbone, a great bustard with cut marks. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English beriel, berial, back-formation from beriels (taken as a plural), from Old English byrgels; akin to Old Saxon burgisli tomb, Old English byrgan to bury — more at bury

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing burial

• burial ground
• burial plot

Rhymes for burial

• aerial
• areal
• ariel
• actuarial
• adversarial
• secretarial
• urticarial
• antimalarial
• biserial
• filarial
• malarial
• subaerial

Kids Definition

burial

noun

buri·​al ˈber-ē-əl 

: the act of burying