Funeral Home Glossary

A legal document that allows a person to give explicit instructions about medical treatment to be used if they become unable to communicate their wishes.

The process of making funeral arrangements and decisions before death occurs, often including pre-payment options.

Support services provided by funeral homes to families following a funeral, including grief counseling and administrative assistance.

An unfinished wood box or other non-metal receptacle without ornamentation or a gasket, used for cremation services.

A private room in a funeral home where families meet with funeral directors to plan services and make arrangements.

A medical examination of a body after death to determine cause of death or investigate disease.

A person designated to receive benefits or funds from a life insurance policy, pension, or other financial instrument upon someone's death.

Individuals who are grieving the loss of a loved one; the surviving family members and friends.

The act of placing human remains in the earth, typically in a cemetery or other designated burial ground.

A legal document issued by local authorities that authorizes the burial or other disposition of human remains.

A concrete, steel, or other durable container that encloses a casket to protect it from the weight of earth and cemetery equipment.

A rectangular container designed to hold human remains, typically made of wood, metal, or alternative materials.

Designated land area for the burial of human remains, including caskets, urns, and memorials.

A memorial or monument erected to honor a person whose body is buried elsewhere or cannot be recovered.

A room in a funeral home used for funeral services and viewing of the deceased.

A structure with niches (small compartments) designed to hold urns containing cremated remains.

A service or ceremony held in memory of the deceased without the presence of the body or cremated remains.

The process of reducing human remains to bone fragments through intense heat and flame.

The furnace or retort where the cremation process takes place.

A combustible casket or container used to hold the body during cremation.

A facility equipped for cremating human remains.

A chamber in a mausoleum or underground vault used for entombment of human remains.

An official document issued by a government agency that declares the cause, location, and time of a person's death.

The legal term for a deceased person.

Burial of the body without a formal funeral service, viewing, or wake beforehand.

Cremation of the body without a formal funeral service, viewing, or wake beforehand.

The final placement of human remains, whether by burial, cremation, entombment, or other legal method.

The process of chemically treating human remains to temporarily preserve and sanitize the body.

The placement of human remains in a mausoleum, crypt, or other above-ground structure.

A brief inscription on a tombstone or memorial in memory of the deceased.

All property, assets, and debts left by a person at death.

A speech or written tribute praising the life and character of the deceased, typically delivered at a funeral service.

A person named in a will to carry out the wishes of the deceased and handle the estate.

A ceremony held to honor, memorialize, and celebrate the life of someone who has died.

A licensed professional who coordinates funeral arrangements and provides services to bereaved families.

A facility that provides services for the care and preparation of the deceased and funeral arrangements.

A ceremony with the body present in a casket, distinguished from a memorial service.

An excavated space in the earth for burial of human remains.

A concrete or other durable container that surrounds the casket in the grave to prevent settling of the earth.

A funeral service held at the gravesite, typically at the time of burial.

A marker placed at the head of a grave, also known as a headstone or tombstone.

An environmentally friendly burial practice that avoids embalming and uses biodegradable materials.

Professional support provided to individuals and families coping with loss and bereavement.

A stone marker placed at the head of a grave, inscribed with information about the deceased.

A specially designed vehicle used to transport a casket to the funeral service and cemetery.

Care focused on comfort and quality of life for terminally ill patients and their families.

Burial shortly after death without embalming, viewing, or funeral service.

The act of burying a body in the earth; another term for burial.

Text engraved on a memorial, monument, or marker, typically including names, dates, and personal messages.

The act of placing human remains in their final resting place, whether by burial or entombment.

A flat memorial stone that lies horizontally over a grave, covering all or most of the burial space.

A contract that provides financial benefits to beneficiaries upon the death of the insured person.

A legal document specifying medical treatment preferences if a person becomes unable to communicate their wishes.

A memorial placed on a grave, mausoleum, or niche, inscribed with identifying information about the deceased.

A large above-ground structure designed to house multiple caskets or cremated remains.

Something designed to preserve the memory of a person, including monuments, markers, or memorial services.

A service held to honor the deceased without the body present, often after burial or cremation.

A lasting structure erected in memory of the deceased, typically made of stone and extending above ground level.

Another term for funeral director; a professional who prepares bodies for burial or cremation.

Another term for funeral home; a facility where bodies are prepared for burial or cremation.

The person's closest living relative, who typically has authority to make decisions about funeral arrangements.

A space in a columbarium designed to hold an urn containing cremated remains.

A published notice of death, typically including biographical information and funeral arrangements.

A published notice of death, typically including biographical information and funeral arrangements.

A container or room in which the bones of dead people are placed.

A cloth covering placed over a casket during a funeral service.

A person who helps carry or escort the casket during a funeral service.

A designated space in a cemetery for burial of one or more persons.

Making funeral plans and decisions before death occurs.

Funeral arrangements and often payment made before death occurs.

A room in a funeral home where embalming and other body preparation takes place.

The legal process of validating a will and distributing the deceased person's assets.

The body of a deceased person, or cremated remains after cremation.

The transportation of the deceased from the place of death to the funeral home.

The chamber in which cremation takes place; also called a cremation chamber.

A ceremonial act or series of acts performed as part of funeral or memorial traditions.

The practice of dispersing cremated remains in a meaningful location.

A burial vault or tomb, especially one made of stone.

A ceremony held to honor and remember the deceased, which may be religious or secular.

A cloth used to wrap a body for burial, often used in green or natural burials.

A memorial stone set at an angle, positioned between flat and upright markers in height.

A room in a funeral home where the deceased is displayed for viewing and visitation.

A person who outlives another, especially family members who outlive the deceased.

A stone marker placed over a grave, inscribed with information about the deceased.

A full-service funeral including embalming, viewing, funeral service, and burial or entombment.

The transportation of the deceased from one location to another.

An expression of respect, gratitude, or remembrance for the deceased.

An older term for funeral director or mortician.

A container designed to hold cremated remains, available in various materials and designs.

A designated area in a cemetery specifically for the burial or placement of urns containing cremated remains.

A burial container that encloses the casket, typically made of concrete, steel, or other durable materials.

A time when family and friends gather to pay respects and see the deceased before the funeral service.

A period of watchful attention or wake held before a funeral, often including prayers or remembrance.

A scheduled time for family and friends to visit with the bereaved family and pay respects to the deceased.

A watch or vigil held beside the body of someone who has died, sometimes lasting through the night before burial.

A legal document that expresses a person's wishes regarding the distribution of their property after death.