Funebrial

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to a funeral, burial, or the solemn rites surrounding the dead
2. Of or connected with funerals, especially in a solemn or mournful manner
3. Suitable for or pertaining to burial ceremonies and the grief that accompanies them

Etymology: "Funebrial" is an adjective meaning relating to a funeral or to funeral rites, and it descends from Latin "funebris," which meant "belonging to a funeral." That Latin adjective was built from "funus," the word for a funeral, so the English term carries its core sense in the very first syllables: a funeral-related quality, stated with a formal Latin suffix attached to the base. The base word "funus" is the important link here. Latin used it for the funeral rites themselves, the ceremony surrounding the dead, so "funebris" describes anything that belongs to that occasion. English took the adjective over whole, keeping its focus on the solemn procession and ritual rather than on grief or mourning as an emotion.

Synonyms: funereal, funeral, mournful

Antonyms: festive, joyful, celebratory