columbarium

noun

col·​um·​bar·​i·​um ˌkä-ləm-ˈber-ē-əm How to pronounce columbarium (audio)
plural columbaria ˌkä-ləm-ˈber-ē-ə How to pronounce columbarium (audio)
1
: a structure of vaults lined with recesses for cinerary urns
2
: a recess in a columbarium

Examples of columbarium in a Sentence

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.
Mei and Shing casually dismiss Angie’s insistence that Pat wanted to have her ashes scattered at sea, instead heeding the advice of their fortuneteller, arranging for a traditional ritual and internment in a columbarium. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024 In 2019, the group bought a columbarium with 96 niches to inter ashes for other kinds of service dogs. Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 29 Apr. 2024 Her remains are stored in one of a series of ornate lockers in the columbarium of a Buddhist temple in Hsinchu, second from the bottom, just a few feet away from my uncle, her son. Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Next to the chapel is a columbarium, a repository for the ashes of select members of the congregation. Ted Koppel, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for columbarium 

Word History

Etymology

Latin, literally, dovecote, from columba dove

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of columbarium was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near columbarium

Cite this Entry

“Columbarium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/columbarium. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on columbarium

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!