C1noun5K

Burial

UK /["/ˈberiəl/"]/US /["/ˈberiəl/"]/

Definition

the act or ceremony of burying a dead body

In simple words: The act of placing a dead body in the ground.

Examples

  • a **burial place/mound/site**
  • Her body was sent home for burial.
  • His family insisted he should be given a proper burial.
  • baptism, marriage and burial services
  • His body was returned home for burial.
  • There were objections to the body's burial in consecrated ground.
  • We want to give him a decent burial.
  • disturbing an ancient burial site
  • preventing the body's burial in consecrated ground

Usage notes

Used when discussing funerals or the act of putting someone to rest. It’s appropriate in both formal and informal contexts, though in casual conversations, simpler terms like 'funeral' may be more common.

Grammar pattern

burial + of + object

Memory hint

Think of 'bury-all'—imagine burying all your worries with someone who passed away.

Collocations

  • decent
  • proper
  • Christian
  • give somebody
  • attend
  • go to
  • take place
  • chamber
  • ground
  • mound
  • for burial
  • burial in

Synonyms

  • interment
  • entombment
  • sepulture
  • funeral

Antonyms

  • exhumation
  • removal

Common mistakes

  • Confused with 'bural', which is not a word.
  • Using 'burials' incorrectly as a singular form.
  • Mismatching the verb form, such as saying 'to burial'.