inter

inter — verb

1. to place a dead person's body into the earth inside a tomb or coffin, usually as

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to place a dead person's body into the earth inside a tomb or coffin, usually as part of a formal funeral ceremony.

Example

Minh's grandmother was interred in the village cemetery last spring.

passive: be interred + location (cemetery)

The soldiers who died in the battle were interred with full military honours.

collocation: interred with honours

Common collocations
  • inter a body
  • inter the remains
  • inter the ashes
  • interred in a cemetery
  • interred beneath a monument
  • interred with full honours
  • interred at sea
  • formally interred
  • decently interred
Synonyms
  • bury

    the everyday, neutral term; 'inter' is much more formal and literary

  • entomb

    specifically means placing in a tomb, often with a sense of being sealed inside

  • lay to rest

    a gentle, euphemistic phrase used in obituaries and memorial services

Antonyms
  • exhume

    to dig up a body from a grave, the opposite action

  • disinter

    formal antonym; to remove a body from a grave or tomb

Grammar Patterns

be interred + prepositional phrase (in / at / beneath)

inter + noun phrase (body / remains / ashes)

Usage Note

Frequently used in the passive voice. Only appropriate for the burial of a dead person or their remains — never used for objects or valuables.

Common Mistakes

The pirates interred the treasure chest on the island.
The pirates buried the treasure chest on the island.
'inter' is reserved for dead bodies, not objects.
We interred our dog in the backyard.
We buried our dog in the backyard.
'inter' sounds overly formal for a pet; use 'bury' in everyday contexts.

inter — prefix

Word family

  • interment
    nounC1
  • disinter
    verbC2
  • disinterment
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three words refer to putting a dead body in its final resting place, but they differ in formality and nuance. 'Bury' is the everyday, neutral term — you use it for people, pets, and even objects ('bury the treasure'). 'Inter' is the formal, literary equivalent, found in news reports of state funerals, historical accounts, and ceremonial language; it implies dignity and ritual. 'Entomb' is even more specific, meaning to place inside a tomb or mausoleum, often with a sense of being sealed away. 'Lay to rest' is a gentle euphemism commonly used in obituaries and sympathy cards to soften the finality of death. For example: 'The soldiers were buried near the battlefield' (neutral fact), 'The prime minister was interred in the national cemetery' (formal ceremony), and 'She was laid to rest beside her husband' (softer, more personal).

bury ↗entomblay to rest

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • inter at sea
  • inter with full military honours

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The verb 'inter' comes directly from Latin 'interrāre', meaning 'to put into the earth', formed from the prefix 'in-' ('into') and 'terra' ('earth'). The same Latin root 'terra' gives us English words like 'terrain', 'territory', and 'terrestrial'. The prefix 'inter-' (meaning 'between' or 'among') comes from a separate Latin word — the preposition 'inter' — which is unrelated to the verb despite their identical spelling in modern English.