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

Soil treated with fungi, however, can be removed and incinerated or repurposed much more cheaply. —Lauren Oster, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2025

Only 15% gets recycled; 17% is incinerated; and over 22% is littered directly into ecosystems. —Marianne Lehnis, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

In Hillsborough County, trash goes to the Resource Recovery Facility, where it’s then incinerated and used to generate electricity. —Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025

Without this initiative, these materials would likely have been discarded in landfills, incinerated or contributed to ocean pollution. —Lauren Parker, Sourcing Journal, 5 Feb. 2025

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