Glossary: 100+ Funeral Home Terms For Funeral Professionals

Welcome to the ultimate cheat sheet for funeral professionals! Whether you’re a seasoned funeral director or a fresh-faced apprentice, navigating the labyrinth of funeral home jargon can feel like trying to decipher a foreign language. But fear not! We’ve compiled a glossary of over 100 funeral home terms to turn those head-scratching terms into head-nodding knowledge.

Aftercare

This refers to the support provided to families after a funeral or memorial service. This includes counseling, resources for coping with grief, and assistance with practical matters like estate settlement and closing online accounts. It is also a key part of building strong, lasting relationships in the community in which you serve. 

Fun fact: Gather’s case management platform offers a simple aftercare guide that you can provide to families to help simplify and automate aftercare.

Administer

The person responsible for managing the estate of a person who has died if they had not written a will, not named an executor in their will, or the executor they had named has renounced their responsibilities.

Aerial Scattering

The process of dispersing cremated remains from an aircraft over a designated area, such as a body of water or a significant location.

Ash Scattering Ceremony

A ritual or service where cremated remains (ashes) of the deceased are dispersed in a meaningful location, such as over water, in a garden, or at a place significant to the deceased. Always be mindful of local ordinances and keep in mind that some cemeteries are required to contact the family of the deceased to notify them if cremated remains are found on or near a gravesite.

Autopsy

A medical examination of a deceased person’s body to determine the cause of death is often performed by a forensic pathologist at the request of authorities or for legal and medical reasons.

Beneficiary

Refers to an individual or entity designated to receive benefits or assets from a deceased person’s estate or funeral arrangements.

Bereaved

Refers to individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one through death. In the context of a funeral home, the bereaved are the family members and close friends of the deceased who are grieving and seeking funeral services and support to honor and memorialize their loved one.

Bereavement Leave

Paid or unpaid time off from work granted to an employee to grieve and cope with the death of a family member or loved one, typically granted by employers as a compassionate benefit.

Bequest

A gift or provision made in a will, specifying that certain assets or property are to be given to a designated individual, organization, or charity after the death of the testator (the person making the will).

Bier Stand

A stand or frame used to support a casket or coffin during a funeral or memorial service, allowing it to be displayed or transported.

Body Donation

The act of donating one’s body after death for medical education, research, or advancement of medical science.

Book of Remembrance

A memorial book where names and sometimes photographs of the deceased are recorded to honor their memory.

Burial at Sea

A funeral rite where the deceased’s remains are ceremonially deposited into the ocean.

Burial Flag

A flag provided by the government to honor the military service of a deceased veteran, typically draped over the casket or presented to the family during funeral services.

Burial Permit

A legal document issued by the local authorities allowing burial of the deceased in a designated cemetery or burial ground.

Celebration of Life

A personalized and often informal gathering or ceremony held to honor and remember the deceased, focusing on their life achievements, contributions, and positive memories.

Cenotaph

A monument erected in honor of a deceased person whose remains are buried elsewhere or not recovered.

Catafalque

A raised platform or framework, often ornate, used to support a casket or coffin during a funeral or memorial service.

Casket

A rectangular burial container, typically made of wood or metal, used to enclose and display the deceased for visitation, funeral services, and burial. Green options available include wicker, straw, and canvas. 

Cemetery Marker

A durable and usually permanent sign, such as a headstone or grave marker, that indicates the location of a grave within a cemetery and memorializes the deceased.

Celebrant

An officiant who leads or conducts a funeral or memorial service.

Chapel of Rest

A dedicated room or area within a funeral home where the deceased is respectfully laid out for family and friends to visit and pay their respects before the funeral or cremation. Another name for this is a state room. 

Colorful Funeral

A funeral service that celebrates the life and personality of the deceased with vibrant decorations, attire, and music.

Columbarium

A structure or room within a cemetery, church, or funeral home designed to hold cremated remains in urns or niches.

Committal Service

The final part of a funeral or memorial ceremony where the deceased is formally laid to rest, typically at a graveside or crematorium and sometimes at a mausoleum. Usually involves prayers, readings, and farewells.

Coroner

An elected government official responsible for investigating the cause and manner of death in cases that require investigation, often working closely with funeral directors for release of the deceased.

Cosmetizing

The process of applying makeup and preparing the deceased’s appearance for viewing during visitation or funeral services.

Cremation

The reduction of human remains by intense heat and flame to ash and bone fragments.

Cremation Casket

A specialized casket designed for use in cremation, usually made of combustible materials such as cardboard or wood, ensuring safe and respectful handling during the cremation process.

Cremation Permit

A legal document issued by local authorities authorizing the cremation of a deceased person, ensuring compliance with regulations and proper identification.

Cremation Tattoo

A tattoo created using ink mixed with a small portion of the deceased’s cremated ashes, serving as a permanent memorial.

Crypt

An underground chamber or vault, typically located within a mausoleum or cemetery, used for the permanent interment of deceased individuals.

Death Certificate

A legal document certifying the death signed by a medical professional or coroner.

Death Notice

A public announcement of someone’s death, usually published in newspapers or online, providing essential details such as the name of the deceased, date of death, and information about funeral arrangements.

Decedent

A formal term used to describe an individual who has passed away, typically used in legal and medical contexts.

Direct Disposition

A simplified funeral arrangement where the deceased is immediately cremated or buried without a formal viewing, visitation, or funeral ceremony.

Disbursement Fees

Costs incurred by funeral homes on behalf of clients for services provided by third parties, such as cemetery fees, clergy honorariums, and newspaper notices.

Display Room

A designated area within a funeral home where caskets, urns, and other funeral merchandise are displayed for families to choose from during funeral arrangements. Also known as a selection room. 

Eulogy

A spoken or written tribute honoring and celebrating the life of the deceased, typically delivered during a funeral or memorial service by a family member, friend, or clergy member.

Estate Planning

The process of arranging for the management and distribution of a person’s assets and belongings after their death, often including provisions for funeral and burial expenses.

Exclusive Right of Burial

The legal right granted to an individual or entity to determine who may be buried in a specific grave plot or burial space within a cemetery.

Embalmer

An embalmer is a professional who specializes in the preservation and preparation of deceased bodies for funeral services.

Embalming

Embalming is the process of preserving a deceased body through the use of chemicals and techniques to delay decomposition. It is often done to temporarily maintain the body’s appearance for viewing purposes during funeral services.

Entombment

The act of placing a casketed body or cremated remains into a mausoleum or above-ground burial chamber.

Family Plot

A designated section of a cemetery or burial ground where multiple members of the same family are interred, often purchased and maintained by the family over generations.

First Call

    The initial visit made by funeral home staff to the place of death to transport the deceased to the funeral home, marking the beginning of funeral arrangements.

First Offices

    The initial administrative procedures and paperwork handled by funeral home staff upon the death of an individual, including transportation and initial preparations.

Funeral Insurance

    A type of insurance policy designed to cover the costs associated with funeral expenses, such as caskets, urns, burial plots, and other related services.

Funeral Arrangements

   The process of planning and coordinating all aspects of a funeral or memorial service, including selecting caskets, arranging transportation, and scheduling ceremonies.

Funeral Plan

    A detailed outline or document prepared by a funeral director in consultation with the family, specifying the arrangements, services, and costs for a funeral or memorial service.

Funeral Procession

    A solemn line of vehicles, typically led by a hearse, that travels slowly from the funeral home or place of worship to the burial or cremation site, following a designated route. Also known as a cortege.

Funeral Rule

    A set of consumer protection regulations enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States. They were enacted in 1984 and ensure transparency and fair practices in funeral planning and pricing.

General Price List (GPL)

    A document provided by funeral homes listing the prices of their goods and services, ensuring transparency and compliance with consumer protection laws. A GPL with 16 mandatory pieces of information is required by the FTC.

Grief Therapy Dogs

   Specially trained dogs that provide comfort and emotional support to mourners at funeral homes, helping to alleviate grief and stress.

Green Funeral

    A funeral or burial that emphasizes environmentally friendly practices, such as using biodegradable coffins or urns, and minimizing the environmental impact of funeral activities.

Graveside Service

    A funeral or memorial service held at the gravesite just before or after burial, where final farewells and ceremonies take place.

Grave Marker

    A permanent monument or marker placed at a gravesite to identify and memorialize the deceased, often inscribed with their name, dates of birth and death, and other personal information.

Hearse

    A vehicle, also known as a coach, designed to transport deceased individuals in coffins or caskets from the location of death or funeral home to the burial site or place of cremation. Hearse was originally a brand of funeral vehicle but it has been adopted as a universal name. 

Honorary Casket Bearer

    An individual chosen to accompany the casket during a funeral procession or ceremony as a symbolic gesture of honor and respect.

Hospice

    A specialized facility or program that provides care and support for terminally ill patients, focusing on comfort and quality of life during their final stages of life.

Inheritance Tax

    A tax imposed on the estate of a deceased person before the assets are distributed to beneficiaries. The tax is based on the value of the assets inherited by each beneficiary.

Interment

The act of burying a deceased person’s body or cremated remains in a grave, tomb, mausoleum, or other final resting place.

Interment Fee

A fee charged for the burial or interment of human remains in a cemetery or burial ground.

Intestate

The legal status of dying without a valid will, resulting in the estate being distributed according to state laws.

Inurnment

The placement of cremated remains into an urn or niche within a cemetery, mausoleum, or columbarium.

Keepsake

A small item or memento, such as a piece of jewelry or a token containing a portion of cremated remains, kept by family members or loved ones to remember and honor the deceased.

Lawn Crypt

An underground burial vault designed for multiple interments, typically in a cemetery setting.

Living Will

A legal document specifying a person’s preferences for medical treatment and end-of-life care if they become incapacitated or unable to communicate their wishes.

Lowering Device

Equipment used at gravesites to gently lower a casket or urn into the ground during burial services.

Medical Examiner

A professional responsible for determining the cause and manner of death in cases requiring investigation, often working closely with funeral directors for the release of the deceased.

Monument 

A permanent structure, typically made of stone or other durable materials, erected at a gravesite or memorial location to commemorate and honor the deceased. It often includes inscriptions of the individual’s name, dates of birth and death, and sometimes personal sentiments or symbols that reflect their life and legacy.

Mausoleum

A large and often ornate above-ground structure within a cemetery or memorial park, designed to house multiple burial chambers or crypts for the deceased.

Mortician

A mortician, also known as a funeral director or undertaker, is a trained professional who oversees and coordinates the details of funerals and memorial services.

Mortuary

A facility where deceased individuals are temporarily stored, prepared, and embalmed before funeral services or burial.

Mortuary Science

The academic and practical study of funeral service, encompassing embalming, restorative arts, and funeral home management.

Mourn

The emotional expression of grief and sorrow experienced by family and friends after the death of a loved one.

Natural Burial

A burial practice that seeks to minimize environmental impact by using biodegradable materials and avoiding embalming fluids, allowing the body to decompose naturally and return to the earth.

Next of Kin

The closest living relative or relatives of a deceased person, typically prioritized in matters related to inheritance, funeral arrangements, and medical decisions.

Niche

A small compartment or space within a columbarium specifically designed to hold urns containing cremated remains.

Order of Service

A printed booklet or program distributed at a funeral or memorial service, outlining the sequence of events, hymns, readings, and speakers, providing guidance for attendees.

Organ Donation

The act of donating one’s organs or tissues after death for transplantation into another person in need, with the goal of saving or improving lives.

Ossuary

A repository for skeletal remains, often in the form of a container or room within a cemetery or memorial site, used for secondary interments or as a historical burial site.

Pall

A ceremonial cloth or covering, often draped over a casket or coffin during a funeral or memorial service, symbolizing respect and dignity for the deceased.

Pallbearer

An individual who is chosen to assist in carrying the casket or coffin of a deceased person during a funeral service or burial.

Preneed Insurance

Preneed insurance is a type of insurance policy designed to cover the costs of funeral and burial expenses. It is purchased in advance, often directly from a funeral home, and the benefits are paid out upon the policyholder’s death to cover specific pre-arranged services and products.

Fun Fact: you can manage preneed cases directly in Gather, and our case management platform even offers a direct integration with Homesteaders Life Company.

Probate

The legal process through which a deceased person’s will is validated and their estate is administered, including the payment of debts, distribution of assets to beneficiaries, and settlement of taxes and fees.

Repatriation

The process of returning a deceased person’s remains to their home country or place of origin for burial or cremation.    

Spiritual Will

A document or letter expressing a person’s values, beliefs, and personal wishes to guide their loved ones after their death.

Statement of Funeral Goods and Services

A document provided by funeral homes to clients, itemizing the costs and details of selected funeral products and services, ensuring transparency in pricing and offerings.

Survivors

The family members and loved ones who are left behind after someone has passed away.

Undertaker

Another term for a funeral director or mortician, responsible for organizing and overseeing funeral arrangements.

Urn

An urn is a container, often made of materials such as metal, wood, ceramic, or biodegradable substances, designed to hold the cremated remains of a deceased person.

Urn Placement

The act of positioning or interring an urn containing cremated remains in a designated location, such as a grave, niche, or memorial site.

Vault

A reinforced, sealed container placed inside a grave to protect the casket or coffin from the elements and prevent the ground from collapsing.

Vigil

A Roman Catholic religious service held on the eve of the funeral service where they often recite the Rosary.

Viewing

A scheduled time for family and friends to see the deceased, often at a funeral home, providing an opportunity for final farewells and condolences before the funeral or memorial service.

Wake

A gathering or vigil held before a funeral or memorial service where family and friends come together to offer condolences, share memories of the deceased, and support each other in grief.

Webcasting

Technology that allows family and friends to watch a funeral or memorial service over the internet from a remote location. Check out Gather’s live streaming service here!

Widow

A woman whose spouse has died and who is now bereaved

Widower

A man whose spouse has died and who is now bereaved.

Will

A legal document that outlines a person’s wishes regarding the distribution of their assets and the appointment of executors or guardians after their death. It may also include provisions for funeral and burial arrangements, specifying preferences for services and handling of remains.