200+
Terms Defined
A-Z
Alphabetical Order
US & CA
Regional Coverage
Expert
Definitions

Understanding funeral terminology can help you make informed decisions during a difficult time. This comprehensive glossary covers over 200 terms used in the funeral industry across the United States and Canada, from common phrases to specialized technical vocabulary.

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Aftercare

Support services provided by funeral homes to help families cope with grief and loss following the funeral. May include counseling referrals, grief support groups, and follow-up contact.

Service
Alternative Container
An unfinished wood box or other non-metal receptacle used for cremation instead of a traditional casket. Required by law to be combustible and meet health department standards.
Cremation
Arrangement Conference
A meeting between family members and funeral director to plan the funeral service, select merchandise, and make financial arrangements. Also called arrangement consultation.
Planning
Autopsy
/AW-top-see/
Medical examination of a deceased person to determine cause of death. May be required by law in certain circumstances or requested by family. Can affect timing of funeral arrangements.
Medical
B
Basic Services Fee
Non-declinable fee charged by funeral homes covering overhead, staff services, facility use, and basic arrangements. Required to be itemized on funeral home price lists.
Pricing
Bereaved
Person who has suffered the loss of a loved one through death. Often used to describe family members during the funeral planning process.
General
Burial Vault
Lined and sealed outer receptacle that houses the casket in the grave. Protects the casket from soil, water, and cemetery equipment. Required by many cemeteries but not by law.
Burial
See also: Grave Liner
Burial Permit
Legal document issued by local authorities authorizing burial or cremation. Required before final disposition of remains. Also called disposition permit.
US & Canada
Legal
C
Casket
Rigid container designed to hold human remains for viewing, ceremony, and burial or cremation. Available in various materials including wood, metal, and eco-friendly options.
Merchandise
See also: Coffin
Celebration of Life
Memorial service focused on honoring and celebrating the deceased's life, achievements, and positive memories rather than mourning their death. Often less formal than traditional funerals.
Service Type
Cemetery
Designated area of land for burial of human remains. May be public, private, religious, or secular. Includes traditional in-ground burial sites and above-ground mausoleums.
Facility
Columbarium
/kol-uhm-BEAR-ee-uhm/
Structure with niches (compartments) designed to hold urns containing cremated remains. Can be located indoors or outdoors, often in cemeteries or churches.
Cremation
Committal Service
Brief ceremony at the graveside, mausoleum, or crematory where final prayers are offered and the body is committed to its final resting place.
Service
Cremation
Process of reducing human remains to bone fragments through high heat and flame. Results in cremated remains (cremains) that can be kept, buried, or scattered.
Disposition
Crematory
Facility containing furnaces for cremation. May be standalone facility or part of funeral home. Also called crematorium.
Facility
D
Death Certificate
Official document certifying the death of a person, including cause and circumstances. Required for insurance claims, estate matters, and other legal purposes.
US & Canada
Legal
Decedent
Legal term for a deceased person. Commonly used in funeral industry and legal documentation.
Legal
Direct Burial
Burial without viewing, visitation, or ceremony beforehand. Most economical burial option, though families may hold memorial services separately.
Service Type
Direct Cremation
Cremation without viewing, visitation, or ceremony beforehand. Most economical cremation option, with memorial services held separately if desired.
Service Type
Disinterment
Legal process of removing buried remains from a grave. Requires court order or proper legal authority. Also called exhumation.
Legal
E
Embalming
Chemical treatment and preservation of human remains to delay decomposition and restore natural appearance. Generally required for viewing but not mandated by law in most cases.
Preparation
Endowment Care
Perpetual maintenance fund established by cemeteries to ensure ongoing upkeep of grounds and facilities. Usually included in cemetery plot prices.
Cemetery
Estate Planning
Legal process of organizing affairs for incapacity or death, including wills, trusts, and funeral pre-planning. Often includes funeral wishes and funding arrangements.
Legal
Eulogy
/YOO-luh-jee/
Speech given at funeral service honoring the life and character of the deceased. Usually delivered by family member, friend, or clergy.
Service
F
Funeral Director
Licensed professional who coordinates funeral arrangements and services. Provides guidance on legal requirements, merchandise selection, and ceremony planning.
Professional
Funeral Home
Facility providing funeral services including body preparation, viewing areas, ceremony space, and arrangement offices. Also called mortuary.
Facility
FTC Funeral Rule
Federal regulation protecting consumers by requiring funeral homes to provide itemized price lists, accept outside merchandise, and avoid deceptive practices.
US
Legal
G
General Price List (GPL)
Itemized price list that funeral homes must provide to consumers showing costs for all goods and services. Required by FTC Funeral Rule in the US.
US
Pricing
Grave Liner
Unlined concrete or other material box that covers the casket in the grave. Less expensive than burial vault but provides less protection.
Burial
See also: Burial Vault
Green Burial
Environmentally sustainable burial using biodegradable materials, no embalming chemicals, and natural conservation methods. Also called natural burial.
Burial
Grief Counseling
Professional support to help individuals cope with loss and bereavement. May be provided by funeral homes or referred to specialized therapists.
Support
H
Hearse
Specially designed vehicle for transporting casket to cemetery or crematory. Part of funeral procession and ceremony traditions.
Transportation
Headstone
Memorial marker placed at head of grave, typically made of stone, bronze, or other durable materials. Contains name, dates, and often epitaph or symbols.
Memorial
Hospice
Specialized medical care focused on comfort for terminally ill patients. Often coordinates with funeral homes for end-of-life planning.
Medical
I
Immediate Burial
Burial occurring within 24-48 hours of death without embalming, viewing, or ceremony. Often chosen for religious, cultural, or economic reasons.
Service Type
Inurnment
/in-URN-ment/
Placement of cremated remains in an urn and subsequent placement in a niche, grave, or mausoleum. Cremation equivalent of burial.
Cremation
J
Jewish Funeral Customs
Traditional practices including prompt burial (within 24 hours), simple wooden casket, no embalming, and specific mourning periods (shiva, shloshim, yahrzeit).
Religious
K
Keepsake Urn
Small urn designed to hold a portion of cremated remains, allowing multiple family members to keep a memorial. Also called sharing urn or mini urn.
Cremation
L
Life Insurance
Financial protection providing death benefit to beneficiaries. Often used to fund funeral expenses and final arrangements.
Financial
Limousine
Luxury vehicle provided by funeral homes to transport immediate family to and from funeral services. Part of traditional funeral arrangements.
Transportation
M
Mausoleum
/maw-suh-LEE-uhm/
Above-ground structure housing caskets in crypts or urns in niches. Provides alternative to traditional in-ground burial.
Burial
Memorial Service
Ceremony honoring the deceased without the body present, typically held after burial or cremation. Allows for flexible timing and location.
Service Type
Mortician
Licensed professional trained in embalming, funeral directing, and mortuary science. Terms often used interchangeably with funeral director.
Professional
N
Next of Kin
Person legally authorized to make decisions about funeral arrangements and disposition of remains. Usually spouse, adult children, or parents.
Legal
Niche
Individual compartment in columbarium designed to hold cremation urn. May be indoor or outdoor, with various sizes and memorial options.
Cremation
O
Obituary
Published notice of death including biographical information, service details, and survivor names. May appear in newspapers, online, or funeral home websites.
Announcement
Organ Donation
Medical procedure removing healthy organs from deceased for transplantation. Can affect timing and planning of funeral arrangements.
Medical
P
Pallbearer
Person who helps carry the casket during funeral service and burial. Usually 6-8 people chosen by family, often close friends or relatives.
Service
Perpetual Care
Ongoing maintenance and upkeep of cemetery grounds funded by endowment. Ensures long-term preservation and accessibility of burial sites.
Cemetery
Pre-Need
Funeral arrangements and payment made in advance of death. Allows for personal planning and price protection.
Planning
Procession
Formal parade of vehicles traveling from funeral service to cemetery or crematory. Led by hearse and includes family cars and friends.
Service
Q
Quorum
Minimum number of people required for certain religious funeral services or ceremonies. Varies by faith tradition and specific requirements.
Religious
R
Refrigeration
Temporary preservation method using cold storage instead of embalming. Legal alternative for short-term preservation before burial or cremation.
Preparation
Removal
Transportation of deceased from place of death to funeral home. First professional service provided, available 24 hours daily.
Transportation
Restorative Art
Cosmetic procedures to restore natural appearance of deceased for viewing. Includes makeup, hair styling, and reconstruction if needed.
Preparation
S
Scattering
Dispersal of cremated remains in meaningful location such as ocean, mountain, or garden. May require permits and must follow local regulations.
Cremation
Shroud
Simple cloth wrapping for the body, often used in green burial or religious ceremonies. Alternative to traditional casket for environmentally conscious families.
Burial
Social Security Death Benefit
One-time $255 payment to eligible surviving spouse or child. Must be applied for within two years of death.
US
Financial
T
Traditional Funeral
Full funeral service including viewing/visitation, ceremony, and burial or cremation. Most comprehensive option with multiple opportunities for family and friends to gather.
Service Type
Transport Permit
Legal document required for moving human remains across state or provincial borders. Different requirements for burial vs. cremated remains.
US & Canada
Legal
U
Undertaker
Traditional term for funeral director or mortician. Still used in some regions, particularly in rural areas.
Professional
Urn
Container designed to hold cremated remains. Available in various materials, sizes, and styles for burial, display, or scattering.
Cremation
V
Veterans Benefits
Funeral and burial benefits for eligible military veterans including free burial in national cemetery, headstone, and burial allowance. Available in US and Canada with different programs.
US & Canada
Financial
Viewing
Time period when family and friends can see the deceased in casket before funeral service. Provides opportunity for final goodbyes and closure.
Service
See also: Visitation
Visitation
Scheduled time for family and friends to pay respects, often more informal than viewing. May be held with or without the body present.
Service
W
Wake
Traditional gathering to honor deceased, often including viewing, food, and socializing. Customs vary by culture and region.
Service
Will
Legal document specifying distribution of assets and may include funeral wishes. Important to check for funeral instructions and prepaid arrangements.
Legal
X
Xenial
/ZEE-nee-ul/
Relating to hospitality, particularly relevant to funeral home services and welcoming grieving families with warmth and care.
Service
Y
Yahrzeit
/YAHR-tsyt/
Jewish anniversary of death observed annually by lighting memorial candle and saying prayers. Important date for ongoing remembrance and memorial services.
Religious
Z
Zoning Laws
Local regulations governing location and operation of cemeteries, funeral homes, and crematories. Affects where funeral facilities can be established.
Legal

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