Interment

Interment refers to the act of placing a dead body into the ground or into another final resting place as part of a funeral or memorial rite. The term is typically used to denote burial in a grave, tomb, or cemetery, but it can also encompass entombment in a mausoleum, crypt, or ossuary. When the remains are cremated, the burial of the ashes is usually called inurnment, though some contexts still use interment to describe the final disposition of cremated remains.

Cultural and religious practices surrounding interment vary widely. Ceremonies may be led by clergy or chosen by family, and rites often reflect beliefs about the afterlife, memory, and the sanctity of the body. Burial locations can be traditional churchyards or consecrated cemeteries, family plots, or public interment grounds. Grave markers, headstones, and memorial rituals such as flowers or readings help recognize the deceased.

Legal and administrative aspects govern interment. Most jurisdictions require permits or approvals from cemetery authorities before interment and maintain official records of burial plots, dates, and lot ownership. Interments may be regulated to ensure health, safety, and environmental considerations; exhumation and reinterment usually require legal authorization.

Historically, interment practices have evolved with religious, cultural, and technological change—from inhumation in simple graves to elaborate mausoleums, and to contemporary options such as green or natural burial. The term interment is sometimes confused with internment, which denotes confinement or detention, a distinct concept in law and history.