French Conversation · Level 86
60 words
French word
crémation
Pronunciation
IPA/kʁemasjɔ̃/
Meaning
- feminine nouncremation
Example
Ils ont choisi la crémation plutôt que l'enterrement.
They chose cremation rather than burial.
More examples
La famille a assisté à la crémation.
The family attended the cremation.
Core concept
A funeral process turns human remains into ashes instead of placing the body in a grave.
Common phrases
faire une crémation
have a cremation
choisir la crémation
choose cremation
Similar words
enterrement: The practice of burying a dead body in the ground.
obsèques: Ceremonies and services held to mark a person's death and farewell.
tombe: A place where a body or cremated remains are buried or kept.
urne: A small vessel used to contain and preserve cremated remains.
Definition in French
Désigne l'opération funéraire consistant à réduire un corps en cendres par le feu, choisie comme alternative à l'enterrement.
Word origin
The noun comes through medieval Latin cremātiō from Latin cremāre, 'to burn', with the French ending -ation.
Usage tips
- In crémation, the final -tion is pronounced like 'syohn', not like the English ending in 'action'.
Opposites
- enterrementburialnoun
Related words
- crématoriumcrematoriumnoun
- crématoirecrematoryadjective