Interred

Inter and interred are terms used to describe the burial of a dead body. Inter is the verb meaning to place a body in a grave, tomb, or burial chamber. The forms interred (past participle) and interment (the act or process) are common in formal writing, cemeteries, obituaries, and legal contexts. While bury and entomb are closely related, inter is typically more formal.

The word derives from Latin interrare, meaning to bury in the earth, via Old French enterrer or enterrer, with the English form appearing in Middle English. The etymology reflects the historical practice of placing remains in the ground or in a designated burial place.

Interment encompasses a range of burial practices. It can occur in in-ground graves, above-ground tombs, or mausoleum spaces. Remains may be interred in a casket or, when cremation has taken place, cremated remains may be interred in graves, columbariums, or mausoleum niches, though the term inurnment is sometimes used for ash interment. Interred is typically used with human remains, though in some contexts it may also apply to animals.

Legal and cultural considerations influence interment. Regulations often require death certificates, burial permits, and cemetery plots, along with adherence to health, safety, and zoning rules. Religious and cultural practices shape timing, rites, and the chosen final resting place. In modern practice, diversification includes green or natural burials, which may alter traditional interment methods while remaining within the formal framework of burial law and custom.

See also: burial, entombment, inurnment, cremation.