Synonyms

cremate

American

[kree-meyt] / ˈkri meɪt /

verb (used with object)

cremated, cremating

to reduce (a dead body) to ashes by fire, especially as a funeral rite.
to consume by fire; burn.

cremate British

/ krɪˈmeɪt /

verb

(tr) to burn up (something, esp a corpse) and reduce to ash

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

cremation noun
cremationism noun
cremationist noun
uncremated adjective

Etymology

Origin of cremate

First recorded in 1870–75; from Latin cremātus, past participle of cremāre “to burn to ashes”; -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Officials said on Monday that they had cremated and buried the remains of the tigers.

From BBC

She places stones in a woven bag from Peru on her daughter’s body before it is cremated.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mitchell's family had been led to believe he had been cremated in a private ceremony and were "incredulous" when police told them his body was still at the funeral home, the jury was told.

From BBC

The death certificate also confirms that the Canadian-born star has been cremated.

From Los Angeles Times

It was recovered from a large pottery vessel containing cremated human remains, with an X on the lid.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023