cremation
noun
cre·ma·tion
kri-ˈmā-shən 
plural cremations
1
a
: the process of reducing a dead body to mostly tiny bits of bone resembling ash that involves exposing the body to flame and intense heat followed by pulverization of bone fragments
And while I do not conceive of an afterlife, I do conceive a strange, attenuated, out-of-the-body experience in which I'm somehow tenuously present at my burial or cremation.—
Rosemary Dinnage
Rosemary Dinnage… funeral directors say family traditions are changing, leading to an increase in cremation rates.—Matthew Waite
Matthew WaiteThis week the Vatican issued a directive not to scatter the ashes of loved ones after cremation, and instructed followers to only store them in places approved by the Church.—Mandy Johnston
Mandy Johnston
b
: alkaline hydrolysis
—usually used following an adjective or an attributive noun
The reason why flameless cremation or cremation using alkaline hydrolysis is better is that it releases 50 kgs of carbon. If you opt for the traditional method of cremation, close to 250 kgs of carbon is released at one time.—Vishal Sharma
Vishal SharmaIn a water cremation, human remains are placed within a chamber filled with about 70 to 90 gallons of water, into which bases like sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide are added.—Bennet Goldstein
Bennet Goldstein2
: the remains of the cremation process
In Besik Bay, the sandy cove facing the island of Tenedos in the Aegean, a cemetery was found where a variety of foreign peoples were buried … . Included were cremations from the thirteenth century B.C.—Caroline Alexander
Caroline AlexanderExamples of cremation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When the cremation center staff asked what happened, the partner admitted Aria had been killed by a larger dog.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
State law limits how California’s 256 public cemetery districts can make money, prohibiting them from selling memorial markers or mausoleums and offering mortuary or cremation services.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
The lesser overall stigma attached to cremation has taken time, even after the Second Vatican Council formally approved cremation in 1963.
—Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Oct. 2025
At one point, they were joined by representatives from the county Air Pollution Control District, which regulates pet cremation businesses, and a county hazardous materials team, a city spokesperson said.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cremation
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Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
State law limits how California’s 256 public cemetery districts can make money, prohibiting them from selling memorial markers or mausoleums and offering mortuary or cremation services.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
The lesser overall stigma attached to cremation has taken time, even after the Second Vatican Council formally approved cremation in 1963.
—Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Oct. 2025
At one point, they were joined by representatives from the county Air Pollution Control District, which regulates pet cremation businesses, and a county hazardous materials team, a city spokesperson said.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cremation
Cite this Entry
“Cremation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cremation. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cremation
noun
cre·ma·tion
kri-ˈmā-shən
1
a
: the process of reducing a dead body to mostly tiny bits of bone resembling ash that involves exposing the body to flame and intense heat followed by pulverization of bone fragments
b
: alkaline hydrolysis
—usually used following an adjective or noun
The reason why flameless cremation or cremation using alkaline hydrolysis is better; is that it releases 50 kgs of carbon. If you opt for the traditional method of cremation, close to 250 kgs of carbon is released at one time.—Vishal Sharma
Vishal SharmaIn a water cremation, human remains are placed within a chamber filled with about 70 to 90 gallons of water, into which bases like sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide are added.—Bennet Goldstein
Bennet Goldstein2
: the remains of the cremation process
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