Our A-Z Glossary of Funeral Terms

A

Administrator (of the estate): The person legally responsible for managing the estate of someone who has passed away, if that person did not have a will.

Ashes: The remains of someone who has passed away, after their body has been cremated. See: What to do with the ashes of a loved one.

Ashes casket: A box for burying the ashes of someone who has died.

Asset: Anything of value, such as property, savings, shares, jewellery, or collectibles, that was owned by the deceased.

Autopsy: A medical examination that takes place after someone has died, usually to determine the cause of death.

B

Beneficiary: A person who is named in a Will, or through life insurance, to receive an asset (i.e. a specific property) or share of the estate (i.e. ¼ or 25%).

Bequest: A gift (property, money, belongings etc.) that is left to a person or charitable organisation in a Will.

Bereaved: Someone who is mourning the death of a loved one, usually a family member or close friend.

Bereavement leave: Time off granted by an employer to allow a bereaved person time to grieve, make necessary arrangements, and attend the funeral or memorial service.

Bereavement support payment: A benefit paid by the government to people whose husband, wife or civil partner dies, to help ease any financial worries. The money can be paid as a one-off lump sum or monthly payments.

Burial: The act of placing the body of someone who has died in a grave, typically in a coffin or casket.

Burial site: An area of land used for burial, also referred to as a burial plot.

C

Casket: A rectangular container which holds the body of someone who has died. It is usually made from wood, cardboard or wicker.

Catafalque: A stand or platform, sometimes decorated, which a coffin or casket is placed on during a funeral service or viewing.

Celebrant: A person who helps plan the order of service and leads a funeral ceremony i.e. priest, civil celebrant, friend or family member of the deceased.

Celebration of life: A funeral or memorial service that is not driven by a religion and instead focuses on the life of the person who has died. See: Celebration of life ideas.

Certificate for Burial or Cremation: A free certificate issued by the registrar after someone’s death has been registered – not to be confused with a death certificate or medical certificate of cause of death. It is a legal requirement before the person can be buried or cremated. See: Documents and certificates.

Chapel of Rest: A room in a funeral home where people can view the body of their loved one.

Coffin: A container which holds the body of someone who has died. A coffin has six sides whereas a casket only has four.

Committal service: The conclusion of a funeral service when the coffin or casket is buried, removed for cremation, or remains in sight as people leave the room or venue.

Coroner: A government official who is responsible for investigating any violent, sudden or suspicious deaths, or if the person’s identity is unknown.

Cremation: A process that uses intense heat to turn the body of a person who has died into ashes. See: What happens at a cremation service.

Cremated remains: Another word for ashes. See: What to do with the ashes of a loved one.

Crematorium: A room or building where the body of a loved one is cremated.

D

Death Certificate: An official certificate, authorised by the Registry Office, which confirms a death has taken place. Not to be confused with certificate for burial or cremation, or medical certificate of cause of death. See: Documents and certificates.

Death notice: A notice, typically found in a newspaper, that announces a person’s death and includes key information such as the time, date and location of their funeral. Online death notices are becoming more common. See: Announcing a death on social media.

Disbursement fees: Third party services paid for by a funeral director on behalf of the bereaved family, such as crematorium fees, venue hire, catering, and flowers.

E

Eco-friendly funeral: A funeral which considers the environmental impacts, and focuses on making a small or non-existent carbon footprint. It will likely have a biodegradable or eco coffin, minimal vehicles, no headstone or physical marker, and occur in a natural green space i.e. a woodland. See: Eco funerals and woodland burials.

Embalming: The process of using special solutions to preserve a body by delaying the natural effects of death.

Estate: Everything owned by a person at their time of death: money, property, stocks, shares, belongings, land, funds in pension schemes, and life insurance policies.

Eulogy: A speech delivered by a family member, close friend or celebrant during a funeral.

Executor (of the Will or estate): The person, officially named in a Will, who has been selected to settle the estate of someone who has died.

Exhumation: The removal of a body from its original burial ground. This could be for relocation, or if new evidence challenges the original cause of death and another autopsy is required.

F

Funeral: A ceremony that honours and celebrates the life of someone who has died. It can be religious or humanist (non-religious), and is typically attended by close family and friends. See: A guide to what happens at a funeral.

Funeral director: A person who arranges a funeral for someone who has died, based on the wishes of the deceased and their bereaved family. They typically prepare the body, deal with the church/crematoria, complete paperwork, liaise with third party companies, supply funeral transport, and more. They are also known as funeral undertakers or funeral arrangers.

Funeral expenses payment: A one-off support payment for people who receive benefits and need help covering the cost of a loved one’s funeral.

Funeral plan: A payment scheme which lets people pay for their funeral in advance so their relatives aren’t left with the bill.

Funeral procession: A ceremonial convoy of vehicles, usually carrying the coffin or casket and close family of the deceased, driving at a slow speed to the venue of a funeral.

Funeral service: The ceremony held to pay tribute to the life of the deceased.

G

Grant of probate: An official document which allows the executor of a Will (or their professional representative) to deal with the estate of the person who has died.

Grave liner: An outer burial container that is designed to support the weight of the earth around the casket to prevent the grave collapsing over time.

Grave marker: An object placed on a grave, usually a plaque, to help friends and family find their loved one’s burial plot. See: Choosing a memorial.

Gravestone: A permanent stone marker that identifies where someone has been buried. It usually has their name, date of birth and death, and a few words. See: Choosing a memorial.

Green burial see ‘eco-friendly funeral’

H

Headstone see ‘gravestone’

Hearse: A vehicle designed to carry a coffin or casket in a funeral procession.

Humanist funeral: A non-religious funeral service that celebrates the life of loved one.

I

Inheritance Tax: A one-off tax payment taken from the estate of someone who has died, if the value of their total assets is above a certain threshold.

Intestate: If someone dies without leaving a will, their estate will go into ‘intestate’ and the court will decide who is entitled to a share of the inheritance using intestacy laws. See: How does a Will work after death.

K

Keepsake: A container or piece of jewellery designed to hold a small amount of ashes. See: What to do with the ashes of a loved one.

L

Letter of administration: If there is no valid Will, this official document gives legal authorisation for a person to act as the administrator of the deceased’s estate.

M

Memorial: A physical object, such as a piece of jewellery, engraved bench, grave marker, gravestone, or memorial tree, which is dedicated to someone who has died. See: Choosing a memorial.

Memorial service: A ceremony to commemorate the life of someone who has died. It differs from a funeral in the fact that the deceased’s body is not present.

Mortician: A person who looks after the deceased and prepares the body for burial or cremation.

Mortuary: The room or building in which the bodies of people who have died are cared for, before they are buried or cremated.

N

Next of kin: Someone’s closest living relative, usually a spouse or child.

O

Obituary: A news article announcing a person’s death and giving a brief overview of their life. See: How to write an obituary.

Officiant: A person who conducts a funeral service, such as a religious representative or celebrant.

Order of service: An overview of what is going to happen in the funeral, like an itinerary, with a brief obituary and words for any prayers, readings or hymns.

P

Pallbearer: A person who carries or escorts the coffin at a funeral, typically a close friend or family member. There are usually 6-8 people carrying the casket.

Post-mortem: A medical examination of a body to find out the cause of death. This is carried out by a medical examiner called a pathologist.

Procession: see ‘funeral procession’

Probate: The legal process of dealing with the estate of someone who has died, in accordance with their Will.

R

Registry office: A local government office where deaths, births, marriages and civil partnerships are recorded. It’s also known as a register office.

Repatriation: The process of transporting the body of someone who has died from one country to another. This is common if the person has died abroad.

Ritual washing: The process of family members and close friends washing and dressing the body of the deceased, in accordance with certain rites and rituals. See:  Hindu funerals, Buddhist funerals, Jewish funerals, Muslim funerals, and Sikh funerals.

S

Survivors: The family members left behind by the person who has died, such as a spouse, partner, children, and grandchildren. It is written as: Kate is survived by her husband Simon, 66, and her daughter Jane, 32.

U

Undertaker: The person in charge of the body and funeral service, most commonly referred to as the funeral director.

Urn: A special container for cremated ashes.

V

Viewing: In the context of funerals, the act of viewing the body of the deceased, typically in a mortuary or chapel of rest.

W

Wake: A gathering for friends and family of the deceased, usually after the funeral service, where mourners can reflect on the person who has died.

Will: A legal document that explains what will happen to a person’s estate – house, money, belongings etc. – after they die. It also names the executor of the Will. See: How does a Will work after death.