cemetery
gb/sˈɛmɪtˌɛɹi/ us/sˈɛmɪtˌɛɹi/
B1
English
~ 5900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
place where the dead are buried
A place where dead people are put in the ground or their ashes are kept, often with many graves and stones with names on them.
Usage pattern:
buried in [a/the] cemetery
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "cemetery" and "graveyard". In modern English they can usually be used the same way, but "graveyard" is more often next to a church, while a "cemetery" can be larger and separate. Another common mistake is spelling: the correct form is "cemetery" (ending in -ery), not *"cemetary". Also note the plural spelling "cemeteries" (y → ies).
Synonyms
graveyard (Often smaller and next to a church; in modern use many people treat it as the same as cemetery.)
|
burial ground (More general and sometimes used for older, less formally arranged places for burial.)
Antonyms
maternity ward (A hospital area associated with birth and new life, contrasting with a cemetery, which is associated with death and burial.)
Collocations
visit the cemetery
|old cemetery
|military cemetery
|cemetery grounds
|buried in the cemetery
|cemetery gates
Themes
death
|religion
|places
|society
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We visited the cemetery on Sunday to place flowers on my grandfather’s grave.
- The town built a new cemetery on the edge of the village when the old one became full.
- Names of the soldiers are carved on stones throughout the military cemetery.
- The cemetery is very quiet at night, with only the sound of the wind in the trees.
- She walks through the cemetery every morning on her way to work.
Learner examples
- My grandmother is buried in a small cemetery near the river.
- We went to the cemetery to see my uncle’s grave.
- There is an old cemetery behind the church.
- Many people visit the cemetery on special days to bring flowers.
- The cemetery is close to my house, but it is a peaceful place.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cemetery
IPA
GB/sˈɛmɪtˌɛɹi/
US/sˈɛmɪtˌɛɹi/
Syllables & stress
cemetery (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (cemetery)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cemetery
- Plural: cemeteries
Word family
Expressions
cemetery grounds
1/sˈɛmɪtˌɛɹi ɡɹˈaʊndz/
fixed phrase
all the land of a cemetery
All the land that belongs to a cemetery, including graves, paths, and green areas.
Examples
- Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the cemetery grounds.
- Volunteers helped clean the cemetery grounds before the holiday.
cemetery plot
2/sˈɛmɪtˌɛɹi plˈɑt/
fixed phrase
individual burial space in a cemetery
A small piece of land in a cemetery that is reserved or bought for one or more people to be buried in.
Examples
- They bought a cemetery plot so the whole family could be buried together.
- The price of a cemetery plot in the city is very high.