cadavere

Cadavere is an Italian noun meaning a dead body, typically a human corpse. It is used in medical, forensic, and legal contexts to denote a body that is no longer living. In everyday speech it carries a neutral or clinical tone and is generally reserved for human bodies; for non-human remains, terms like animale morto or resti are more common.

Originating from the Latin cadāver, cadaver, the word entered Italian via Old French cadavre and developed into cadavere. The form cadavere is masculine, with the plural cadaveri.

In medicine and anatomy, cadaveri are used for dissection and study, often under ethical oversight and with donor consent when the body is donated to science, or as remnants in autopsy practice. In forensic investigations, a cadavere is examined to determine time and cause of death and to collect evidence. The term remains neutral, though it can be distressing in sensitive contexts; alternative expressions include corpo senza vita, resti umani, or cadavere umano depending on tone and register.

See also: corpse, autopsy, morgue, donor program.