cremate

verb

cre·​mate ˈkrē-ˌmāt  kri-ˈmāt 

cremated; cremating

transitive verb

: to subject to cremation

especially : to reduce (a dead body) to mostly tiny bits of bones resembling ash through exposure to flame and intense heat followed by pulverization of bone fragments

cremate a dead body

Examples of cremate in a Sentence

He wants to be cremated when he dies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Many human remains have been found at and around Stonehenge, most of them cremated and dating to the Neolithic era. —Hannah Edgar, ARTnews.com, 26 Feb. 2025

In 2022, a lawyer representing Christe Chen's parents said their daughter's body was so badly damaged that she couldn't be embalmed for return to the U.S. and her remains were cremated. —CBS News, 16 Dec. 2024

She was quickly cremated, and no autopsy was performed. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024

McNaughton attempted to track down the origin of the ashes, but the only available information indicated that the pet had been cremated at Abbey Glen, a crematorium with locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin crematus, past participle of cremare to burn up, cremate

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cremate

verb

cre·​mate ˈkrē-ˌmāt  kri-ˈmāt 

cremated; cremating

: to burn (as a dead body) to ashes

cremation

kri-ˈmā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

cremate

transitive verb

cre·​mate ˈkrē-ˌmāt  kri-ˈ 

cremated; cremating

: to subject to cremation

especially : to reduce (a dead body) to mostly tiny bits of bones resembling ash through exposure to flame and intense heat followed by pulverization of bone fragments