Funeral and bereavement services often involve words and phrases that may be unfamiliar, especially if you're arranging a funeral for the first time. Our Funeral Glossary explains common funeral, legal and bereavement terms in clear, straightforward language to help you better understand the process.
Use this A–Z guide to quickly find the meaning of a particular word or phrase.
Administrator
A person appointed to manage someone's estate if they die without a valid will.
Ashes
The cremated remains of a person following a cremation.
Beneficiary
A person or organisation who receives money, property or gifts from an estate.
Burial
The placing of a person's body into the ground or a burial vault following a funeral service.
Casket
A coffin with a hinged lid, commonly used in some countries.
Celebrant
A person who leads a funeral ceremony. Celebrants can conduct religious or non-religious services.
Chapel of Rest
A private room where family and friends may spend time with the person who has died before the funeral
.Coroner
An independent judicial office holder who investigates certain deaths to determine who died and how, when and where they died.
Cremation
The process of reducing a body to ashes using high temperatures.
Death Certificate
The official document issued after a death has been registered.
Direct Cremation
A cremation without a funeral service or mourners present.
Embalming
The preservation and preparation of a person's body after death
.Estate
Everything a person owned and owed at the time of their death.
Executor
The person named in a will who is responsible for administering the estate.
Funeral Director
A professional who helps arrange and carry out a funeral.
Grant of Probate
The legal document giving an executor authority to administer an estate.
Humanist Funeral
A non-religious funeral ceremony celebrating a person's life.
Inquest
A court hearing held by a Coroner to establish the facts surrounding certain deaths.
Intestacy
The legal rules that apply when someone dies without leaving a valid will.
Letters of Administration
The legal document giving an administrator authority to deal with an estate when there is no valid will.
Medical Examiner
A senior doctor who independently reviews deaths that are not referred to the Coroner.
Memorial
A monument, plaque or other tribute to remember someone who has died.
Probate
The legal process of administering a person's estate after death.
Registrar
The official responsible for registering births, deaths and marriages
.Repatriation
The process of returning someone to their home country after they have died abroad.
Tell Us Once
A government service that notifies several government departments about a death.
Wake
A gathering of family and friends following a funeral to remember the person who has died.
Will
A legal document stating how a person's estate should be distributed after their death.
Woodland Burial
A burial in a natural setting that supports environmental conservation.