What does sepulture mean?
Sepulture is a formal and literary word for burial, especially the ceremonial or ritual act of placing a dead body in the ground, a tomb, or another burial place. It can also refer more broadly to a tomb or grave, although this use is less common. In ordinary conversation, people are more likely to say burial, interment, or entombment, with burial being the broadest and most neutral option. Sepulture often appears in historical, religious, archaeological, and poetic contexts, where it conveys ceremony, antiquity, or solemnity. Its association with Latin and with expressions such as ancient sepultures gives it a distinctly venerable tone. Although uncommon in modern informal English, it remains useful in formal and descriptive writing, especially when emphasizing the act, setting, or solemn character of burial.
nounThe act of burying a dead person or body, especially with funeral rites; also, a place of burial or tomb.
- The act of burying a dead person or body, especially as a formal or ceremonial act.
- A tomb, grave, or other place of burial.
"The ancient sepulture contained the remains of several members of the community."
"The remains were placed in a stone sepulture beneath the chapel."
"The poet's works dwell on mortality, memory, and sepulture."
Used when referring to multiple acts of burial or multiple burial places.
"The ruins contain several ancient sepultures."
A surprisingly ancient word for burial: sepulture comes straight from Latin sepultura, the language of Roman tombs and funeral inscriptions.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sepulture come from?
Sepulture comes from Latin sepultura, meaning “burial” or “a place of burial.” That word is derived from sepelire, “to bury” or “to inter,” the same root that underlies sepulcher and sepulchral in English. The term entered English through Latin and was established in English by the early 17th century.
Related word forms
How sepulture is actually used
Sepulture is formal, literary, and somewhat archaic. It is more characteristic of historical, religious, or poetic writing than of everyday speech.
Easily confused with sepulture
Sepulture can mean the act of burial or a place of burial, whereas a sepulcher is specifically a tomb or burial chamber.
Sepulchre is chiefly a British spelling of sepulcher, a physical tomb or burial place, while sepulture more often refers to burial itself or can refer more broadly to a burial place.