What does inter mean?
Inter means to place a dead body in a grave or tomb, especially as part of a formal burial. Its tone is solemn, and it is associated particularly with human remains, ceremonies, cemeteries, and historical accounts of burials. Although the verb can stand alone in sentences such as “They interred the remains,” the derived past-participle “interred” is especially common in written English. Inter should not be confused with intern, which means to detain someone or to employ someone as a trainee. The word is also distinct from the more general “bury,” although the two are close in meaning. Its unusual sound and its direct association with burial make it particularly effective in literary, historical, and commemorative contexts.
verbTo place a dead body in a grave or tomb; to bury. It is chiefly used in formal or literary contexts.
- To place a dead body in a grave or tomb; to bury.
"The remains were interred beneath the church after a brief service."
"The deceased was interred in the family crypt."
"Historians estimate that thousands of victims were interred in unmarked graves."
Inter sounds like “inner,” but its original image is even more final: placing a body into the earth.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inter come from?
English inter came through French enterrer, meaning “to bury,” from Medieval Latin interrare, “to put into the earth.” The Latin verb was formed from inter-, meaning “into” or “among,” and radix, meaning “root,” giving it a literal association with putting something into the ground. Its principal English derivatives include the noun interment and the past-participle interred.
Related word forms
How inter is actually used
This is a formal, solemn word used chiefly for burying human remains. Its past-participle form, “interred,” is more common than the base verb, and the word is rarely used for burying objects or animals.
Easily confused with inter
To inter a body is to bury it, whereas to intern a person is to detain them or employ them as a trainee.