What does interment mean? The Oxford Dictionary defines interment as "the burial of a corpse in a grave or tomb, typically with funeral rites." You can use it this way: "his interment took place in the cemetery." Despite being an established resource, Oxford lacks a complete definition of this word. In the funeral industry, interment means "burial in the ground… or entombment." Interment does not expressly refer to a buried body.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- What Is Interment?
- What’s the Difference Between Interment, Internment, and Committal?
- What Does ‘Followed By Interment’ Mean in an Obituary or Funeral Announcement?
- Types of Interment
- How Interment Usually Works
- What Typically Happens During an Interment Service?
Interment is often confused with the similar-sounding word internment. Internment means "the state of being confined as a prisoner, especially for political or military reasons." It is used in this way: "he was threatened with internment in a military prison."
You can see why these two words are often confused. And some grammar check programs don't include interment in their built-in dictionaries! You may be using the word correctly. But when Grammarly or a similar service says it’s incorrectly spelled you might second guess yourself.
Let's take a closer look at the word interment and its meaning. Included below is an explanation of burial alternatives, where some are considered interment while others are not.
What is Interment?
Contained within the word interment is the Latin word "terra." "Terra" means "Earth" or "ground." This Latin word is also found in the words terrestrial, terrarium, and the phrase "terra firma."
Even with this basic knowledge, it can still be difficult to use the word interment correctly. It's not used exclusively to reference the burial of a dead body. It's proper to use the word when a body is in an above-ground sarcophagus. You can also use it to say, "the body is interred in a mausoleum." Oddly enough, you can use the word whether the body is cremated or buried.
Difference between interment and burial
All burials are interments, but not all interments are burials. Clear as mud? Interments involve placing a body in one of three places: a grave, an urn, or an above-ground burial site. A burial is a type of interment.
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What’s the Difference Between Interment, Internment, and Committal?
It’s easy to mix up these words — especially when the industry definitions don’t follow the definitions found in a dictionary. Here’s our attempt at helping you understand the difference.
Interment in the funeral industry means placing the body or cremated remains of the body in a cemetery plot in the ground, an urn, or a mausoleum. Even though interment is technically the correct word to use when placing a body inside a mausoleum, most people would say that the body was “entombed.” This is also true for cremated remains placed inside a columbarium niche or lawn crypt.
The word “internment” (notice the “n”) is not used in the funeral industry. This means “the state of being confined as a prisoner, especially for political or military reasons.” You may read this word when learning about World War II, as seen in this example: “The Jewish people faced internment in a work camp.”
Finally, in the funeral industry, “committal” is defined as the “burial of a corpse.” Committal can be used: “The funeral service was held on June 3, followed by committal at Sunset Cemetery.”
If you wish to tell others about the final resting place of your loved one, you will use the words interment, entombment, or committal.
What Does ‘Followed By Interment’ Mean in an Obituary or Funeral Announcement?
Some of you may have never been to a funeral, and you don’t know what to expect from the experience.
Some obituaries may end with a statement similar to this one:
The funeral will be held on Friday, March 30, 20XX, at 9:30 a.m. at St. Lawrence Church in Detroit, MI., followed by interment at the St. Lawrence Church Cemetery.
Like in our example, if the obituary states the date, time, and place for the funeral, it is typically open for anyone who knew the deceased or the family to attend. In our example, the phrase “followed by interment” means that the body will be buried at a nearby cemetery. The guests at the funeral can walk or drive to the cemetery for an additional brief service. Typically, during this service, the casket is placed at the burial spot, and a few words are said.
If you are attending the funeral, you are certainly not obligated to attend the interment at the cemetery. However, as you leave, take care not to get in the line of cars traveling to the cemetery for the burial. Most of the time, you will know that those attendees are driving to the cemetery because they turn their car lights on and follow the hearse.
Types of Interment
The definitions and usages of the word" interment" can be confusing. The different types of interment you can choose from when planning your end-of-life services are below. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but these are the most common options.
- Burial: Most Americans are familiar with the traditional burial option. In this type of interment, the body goes in a casket, and the casket is buried underground. Usually, the burial takes place in a cemetery, but some states allow bodies to be buried on private land.
- Natural or green burial: Natural burial options are growing in popularity. Examples of green burials include biodegradable urns or burial without a coffin. Others choose to forgo embalming or not to have their caskets placed in a vault for a "greener" burial option.
- Cremation: More Americans than ever are choosing cremation. During this process, the deceased body is burned. The ashes and small bits of bone are given to the family or friends of the deceased.
- Entombment in a mausoleum: Mausoleums are structures that hold dead bodies. They are often used in places where burials aren't an option. Mausoleums can be massive structures holding many families or small single-family structures. Mausoleums are common in New Orleans and other southern cities.
- Entombment in a columbarium niche: When a person is cremated, their family may choose to scatter their ashes. Others place the ashes in urns and seal the urns inside a columbarium niche. This niche is part of a larger columbarium and will contain the remains of many people. A columbarium niche provides a place for mourners to visit when mourning a loved one.
- Entombment in a lawn crypt: Rarely used in the U.S., a lawn crypt is a heavy-duty modular unit buried underground. They protect the body from the elements.
How Interment Usually Works
What is the most popular interment choice for most Americans? For years, most Americans chose to bury their dead, but began to change pretty recently. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, about 53.5 percent of people chose to be cremated in 2015. And, 40 percent of people chose burial.
Before choosing between cremation or burial, it might be helpful to learn more about these processes. While these are the two most common forms of interment, there are even a lot of options within these two choices.
Where will your remains rest? How will they be preserved? These are just two of the questions that need an answer once you decide between cremation or burial. Granted, many of these options are dictated by your state's laws. So, when you’re considering your end of life plan make sure you research the options available in your area.
Cremation
Before cremation, the crematorium takes great care to ensure that the body is correctly identified. Crematories also make sure they have the proper authorization in place. That confirmation ensures the correct burial process occurs. All medical devices and jewelry are removed from the body.
Of note, the removal of metal fillings before cremation is a hotly debated topic. The burned fillings release mercury into the atmosphere. No decision regarding best practice exists.
Once prepared, a cremation container is used to hold the body. The container may be a casket or a large cardboard box designed specifically for this use. The ashes from the container are mixed in with the remains of the body.
From there, the container goes inside the retort or cremation chamber. The retort is between 1,400 and 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The body stays in the cremation chamber for 1.5 to 2 hours.
A magnet is run over the remains of the body to remove any remaining metal. The remains are then ground up slightly to remove any large particles. Usually, these larger pieces contain more recognizable remains that may be disturbing to the deceased’s loved ones.
Finally, the remains go into an urn or some other temporary container. The weight of the remains is usually between three to nine pounds. The weight depends on the process the crematory used and the size of the body.
Burial
Cleaning and sanitizing the body is the first step. This is a necessary part of the process if the service involves an open casket.
Once cleaning is complete the body may be embalmed. Embalming involves the removal of the blood. In the blood's place, chemicals get pumped into the body, which helps preserve the body. It's usually done when the family requests an open casket service.
After embalming is complete, the body is dressed in the clothing provided by the family. Funeral home employees take care of styling the hair of the deceased. Makeup is used on the deceased to make them appear more life-like.
Once the body is ready for viewing, it's stored in a giant refrigerator. Cooling the body keeps it from decomposing before burial.
What Typically Happens During an Interment Service?
Interment services vary based on a variety of factors. Some of those factors include the religious faith of the family, the community norms, the weather, and whether there is an additional service before the interment service. There is usually no seating available (or limited seating intended for the next of kin and those with mobility issues). This means an interment service is not as long as a typical funeral or memorial service.
Keeping these factors in mind, a typical interment service is a short service where an officiant may pray, read a religious text, or read a poem. Sometimes, a music selection will be performed or played. Unless this was the only service for the deceased, people do not typically share eulogies of the deceased at this service. The casket may or may not be lowered into the grave at the end of the ceremony.
We know we have not given you many details on what to expect at the interment service. This is because there are a lot of factors to consider. Sometimes, the family may place clods of dirt on the casket after it is lowered into the ground. Other times, the family leaves before the casket is actually interred. Finally, some families complete the burial process themselves, shoving the dirt on top of the casket.
As an attendee, understand that these services are typically solemn. This is usually a time of silent reflection and prayer. Even if the family believes that their loved ones have gone on to a better place, they still are sad that their time on earth has ended.
As for the practical matters of attending an interment service – dress for the weather. Wear shoes appropriate for sometimes uneven terrain. If there are limited seats, save the chairs for the next of kin or those with mobility issues. Silence your cell phone.
Understanding Interment
No matter what type of interment you prefer, take care when discussing the options with others. Many older people are still coming to grips with the interment process. They have likely been to dozens of funerals. And might have made these difficult decisions for their deceased family members. This repetition brings a certain comfort to the process. Many older people have already decided how they will be buried.
Keep in mind that others may not be comfortable talking about the process, so take care when making decisions with those individuals. You may be more practical in your decision making, but others may be more emotional.
Sources
- "Interment." Lexico. www.lexico.com/en/definition/interment