What does interred mean?
Interred is the past tense and past participle of inter, a formal verb meaning to place a dead person or body in a grave or tomb. The word is especially associated with funeral rites, historical accounts, religious settings, and descriptions of archaeological discoveries. It can refer broadly to burial in the ground, but it may also imply a tomb, crypt, mausoleum, or other designated place of rest. “Interred” has a solemn and ceremonious tone, making it more formal than the everyday word “buried.” The related noun interment names the act of burial, while inter preserves the central idea of placing something within or inside. Together, these forms are useful in writing about death, commemoration, history, archaeology, and mortuary customs.
verbPast tense and past participle of inter: to place a dead person or body in a grave or tomb, especially with funeral rites.
- To place a dead person or body in a grave or tomb, especially with funeral rites.
"The remains were interred beneath the old stone chapel."
"The king was interred in the monastery crypt."
"Archaeologists discovered the body where it had been interred centuries earlier."
Interred carries a solemn, formal air: it suggests not only burial but the deliberate placement of a body in a final resting place.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does interred come from?
The word comes from the Latin inter, meaning “in” or “between,” combined with the Old French enterrer, “to put in a grave,” and ultimately the Latinroots in- and terra, “earth.” The English verb inter developed in the medieval period in the sense of placing a body in the ground, especially as part of a funeral. Its cognates include interior and internal, which reflect the same Latin preposition and its meanings of “inside” and “between.”
Related word forms
How interred is actually used
Interred is formal and often appears in historical, legal, religious, or commemorative contexts. In everyday speech, “buried” is more common.
Easily confused with interred
Interred means buried after death, whereas interned means confined or detained, often for political or wartime reasons.
Interred describes the burial of a body, while inherited means received from a predecessor or ancestor.