cemetery

noun

cem·​e·​tery ˈse-mə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce cemetery (audio)
-ˌte-rē
plural cemeteries
: a burial ground

Examples of cemetery in a Sentence

many of the soldiers who died in the battle are buried in a cemetery nearby
Recent Examples on the Web Shuttles will begin at 9 a.m.; the last shuttle from the college to the cemetery is at 10:45 a.m. Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 20 May 2024 Later that day, three garbage bags with dismembered body parts inside were found at a cemetery in Slatington, Holihan said. Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for cemetery 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cemetery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cimitery, from Anglo-French cimiterie, from Late Latin coemeterium, from Greek koimētērion sleeping chamber, burial place, from koiman to put to sleep; akin to Greek keisthai to lie, Sanskrit śete he lies

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cemetery was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near cemetery

Cite this Entry

“Cemetery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cemetery. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

cemetery

noun
cem·​e·​tery ˈsem-ə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce cemetery (audio)
plural cemeteries
: a place where dead people are buried : graveyard
Etymology

Middle English cimitery "cemetery," from early French cimiterie (same meaning), from Latin coemeterium "cemetery," from Greek koimētērion "sleeping chamber, burial place," from koiman "to put to sleep"

More from Merriam-Webster on cemetery

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!