reinter

Reinter is a verb meaning to bury again. It is used to describe the relocation of a deceased person’s remains from one grave, tomb, or cemetery to another, or to a different part of the same cemetery. The process is known as exhumation followed by reburial and is governed by legal, cemetery, and health regulations. Reinter may occur for reasons such as family preference, cemetery expansion, relocation for preservation of family plots, conflict, or the reassessment of burial records. The related noun reinterment denotes the ceremony or process of reburial.

In many jurisdictions, exhumation and reinterment require permits, documentation, and, in some cases, the consent of next of kin. The work is performed by licensed professionals and may involve embalming or sealing, depending on local rules and religious or cultural practices.

Etymology: the word is formed from the prefix re- meaning again, plus inter, an older term for bury. The term inter is sometimes used as a synonym for bury; reinter emphasizes the second burial.

See also interment and exhumation.