incinerate

verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsi-nə-ˌrāt How to pronounce incinerate (audio)
incinerated; incinerating

transitive verb

: to cause to burn to ashes
incineration noun

Examples of incinerate in a Sentence

The waste is incinerated in a large furnace.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But Walker’s shop was reduced to rubble, the merchandise incinerated by the inferno. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025 Of course, being Final Destination, the operation goes horribly wrong: The laser becomes super-charged and begins incinerating her eyeball. Keith Langston, People.com, 18 May 2025 The coup de grace will come some five billion years from now, when our expanding red giant sun engulfs and incinerates poor little Earth. Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 May 2025 The Sistine Chapel Signal: Smoke and Bells Ballots are incinerated after each voting session in a special stove in the Sistine Chapel. Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for incinerate

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of incinerate was in 1555

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Incinerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incinerate. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

incinerate

verb
in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsin-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce incinerate (audio)
incinerated; incinerating
: to burn to ashes
incineration noun

Medical Definition

incinerate

transitive verb
in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsin-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce incinerate (audio)
incinerated; incinerating
: to cause to burn to ashes

More from Merriam-Webster on incinerate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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