Cremation Terminology: A Plain-English Glossary

Plain-English definitions of cremation terms, from direct cremation and retort to inurnment, niche and authorizing agent, checked against NFDA and CANA.

Updated Oct 16, 2026
6 min read
8 sources checked
By Matt Morgan

The short answer

Cremation is the process that reduces a body to bone fragments, and the Cremation Association of North America says it covers both flame-based cremation and alkaline hydrolysis. The words on a price list or authorization form fall into four groups: types of arrangements, the process itself, what happens to the remains, and the people and paperwork involved. This glossary defines each term in plain language, using NFDA, CANA, FTC and Funeral Consumers Alliance definitions.

Key takeaways

CANA defines cremation as the mechanical, thermal or other dissolution process that reduces human remains to bone fragments, which includes both flame-based cremation and alkaline hydrolysis.
The FTC Funeral Rule defines direct cremation as cremation without formal viewing, visitation or ceremony with the body present. An alternative container is an unfinished wood box or other non-metal container.
NFDA asks people to say "cremated remains" rather than "ashes" or "cremains", because the remains are pulverized bone fragments.
Some terms are defined differently by different groups. CANA says inurnment is burying an urn, while NFDA says it is placing remains in an urn.
The authorizing agent is the person legally entitled to control the disposition of the remains, and state law decides who that is.

On this page

Terms for the type of arrangement
Terms for the process
Terms for the remains and where they go
Terms for people, paperwork and money
Ashes, cremains or cremated remains?
Which terms trip people up?
Where to find more definitions
What to do next

Cremation is the process that reduces a body to bone fragments, and the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) says the term covers both flame-based cremation and alkaline hydrolysis. The words on a price list or authorization form fall into four groups: the type of arrangement, the process, what happens to the remains, and the people and paperwork involved. This glossary explains each in plain language. CANA reports that 62.8% of US deaths in 2025 ended in cremation, so these terms come up for most families.

Terms for the type of arrangement

Term	What it means
Direct cremation	Cremation without formal viewing, visitation or ceremony with the body present (FTC Funeral Rule). Also called simple or basic cremation. See what direct cremation is.
Disposition	What is done with the body: shipment, interment, burial, cremation or anatomical donation (CANA). Final disposition is the permanent step (CANA).
Visitation	A gathering, similar to a wake, where people may see the body and say goodbye, usually at a funeral home (CANA).
Witnessed cremation	A few close family members are present as the body enters the cremator. CANA says it must be requested and scheduled in advance.
Memorial service	A service held without the body present to commemorate the life of the person (NFDA).
Graveside service	A service at the site of permanent memorialization, such as a niche or a cemetery plot. CANA says it is not limited to full-body burial.
Alkaline hydrolysis	A water-based process using alkaline chemicals, heat, agitation and pressure to reduce the body to bone fragments. Often called aquamation or water cremation, and listed by NFDA under the names resomation and bio-cremation. See aquamation compared with cremation.
Pre-need arrangements	Planning or prepaying for cremation or burial in advance (CANA).

Terms for the process

Term	What it means
Crematory (crematorium)	The building that houses the cremation chamber or chambers.
Cremator	The whole machine used for cremation, lined with heavy refractory brick or tile (CANA).
Retort / cremation chamber	The chamber in which a body is cremated (NFDA and CANA).
Crematory operator	The person authorized and licensed to run the cremator (CANA).
Cremation container	The case in which the body is delivered to the crematory and cremated. CANA says the minimum is that it is completely enclosed, rigid, leak resistant and combustible. Metal caskets cannot be cremated.
Alternative container	The FTC defines this as an unfinished wood box or other non-metal container without ornamentation or a fixed interior lining, made of materials such as fiberboard or pressed wood.
Cremation casket	A casket made of combustible material designed for cremation (NFDA).
Rental casket	A casket a funeral home rents for a viewing or service, after which the body is moved to a simpler container for cremation (FCA).
Identification disc (chain of custody)	CANA says a number is assigned and often stamped onto a stainless steel disc that stays with the remains. Chain of custody is the documented tracking of the remains at each step.
Processing and pulverization	Processing removes foreign material, such as metal, from the cremated remains. Pulverization then reduces the bone to granules. CANA says the remains end up less than one-eighth of an inch in size.
Cremation permit	A certificate issued by local government authorizing the cremation (NFDA).

CANA says a flame-based cremation usually occurs between 1,400 and 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit, though state laws differ, and the process can take from about 30 minutes for a stillborn child to over two hours depending on body size. Our guide to what happens during cremation covers each stage.

Terms for the remains and where they go

Term	What it means
Cremated remains	What is left after cremation: mostly calcium phosphates, white to gray, with an average adult weight of four to six pounds (CANA). Also called ashes or cremains.
Temporary container	A cardboard or plastic container for the cremated remains until an urn is chosen (CANA).
Urn	A container designed to hold cremated remains, made of wood, metal, glass or other materials (NFDA).
Keepsake or memento urn	A small item designed to hold a portion of the remains, including miniature urns, jewelry and photo frames (NFDA).
Apportionment	Dividing the remains into portions for separate uses, such as one in an urn, one scattered and one in a locket (NFDA).
Scattering	Spreading the remains over land or water. NFDA says there are few prohibitions, but families should be aware of local ordinances and get permission from landowners first.
Columbarium	A room or building with niches for urns (NFDA).
Niche	An individual space in a wall or structure that holds an urn (NFDA).
Urn garden	A garden containing urn burial sites (NFDA).
Urn vault	A rigid outer container, subject to a cemetery's rules, in which an urn is placed before it is buried. It supports the earth above the urn (CANA). See urn vaults.
Inurnment	Defined two ways. NFDA says it is placing remains in an urn, and CANA says it is the act or ceremony of burying an urn. Ask a provider which it means.

Terms for people, paperwork and money

Term	What it means
Authorizing agent	The person or people legally entitled to control the disposition of the remains (CANA). State law sets who this is.
First call	The first contact with a funeral home to arrange moving the body from the place of death (NFDA). Also called removal.
Death certificate	The legal document signed by a medical professional or coroner certifying the death. A certified copy is a legalized copy issued on request (NFDA).
General Price List (GPL)	The itemized list of goods and services a provider sells, with required disclosures. It is yours to keep. See how to read a General Price List.
Basic services fee	The charge for the funeral director's and staff's services and overhead. It is the one fee the Funeral Rule lets a provider make non-declinable, and it is usually reduced for direct cremation.
Cash advance items	Goods and services a provider buys from a third party on your behalf, such as honorariums, cemetery charges, obituaries and death certificates (NFDA).
Statement of funeral goods and services	The itemized written statement a provider must give you at the end of the arrangement discussion (FTC).
Embalming	Disinfecting and preserving a body for final disposition (CANA). Not required for direct cremation.

Free toolCremation vs Burial CalculatorCompare cost, timing and environmental impact side by side.

Ashes, cremains or cremated remains?

All three terms are understood. NFDA's media guidance asks people to say "cremated remains" rather than "ashes" or "remains", and its glossary lists cremains and ashes as other names for the same thing. The Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) says the ashes are sterile and pose no health hazard. Use whichever word feels right when you talk with family, and expect the paperwork to say cremated remains.

Which terms trip people up?

"Traditional" or "full-service" cremation. Providers use varying names for packages that include a viewing, a ceremony and a rental casket. Read the General Price List line by line, because the label does not tell you what is included.
Cremation versus alkaline hydrolysis. CANA says both are legal methods in the US and Canada, but alkaline hydrolysis is available only where regulators accept it, and providers are limited, so check locally.
Memorial versus funeral. A funeral usually has the body present. A memorial does not. A cremation can come before or after either.
Inurnment. As above, two bodies define it differently, so confirm what a provider means.
Direct cremation and "no funeral." Direct cremation describes what happens to the body. You can still hold a memorial. See cremation without a funeral.

Where to find more definitions

For the wider vocabulary of funerals and cemeteries, see our funeral terms glossary, our guide to cemetery terminology and our guide to legal terms for death and estates. Our direct cremation cost guide puts several of these terms to use on a price list.

What to do next

Ask the provider for a General Price List and look up any term you do not recognize on it.
Ask who the authorizing agent is, and whether state law lets more than one person decide.
Ask for the final handling of the remains in plain words: temporary container, urn, scattering or niche.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between cremation and direct cremation?

Cremation is the process that reduces a body to bone fragments. Direct cremation is a way of arranging it: under the FTC Funeral Rule, the cremation takes place without formal viewing, visitation or ceremony with the body present. A memorial can still be held later.

What is a retort?

A retort is the chamber in which a body is cremated, according to NFDA. CANA uses the terms cremation chamber for the enclosed space and cremator for the whole machine.

Are ashes and cremains the same as cremated remains?

Yes. NFDA's glossary treats ashes and cremains as other names for cremated remains and says cremated remains is the preferred term, because what is left is pulverized bone fragments rather than ash. In everyday talk, any of the terms is understood.

What is an authorizing agent?

CANA defines the authorizing agent as the person or people legally entitled to control the disposition of human remains. State law sets the order, which often starts with a person named in writing or a spouse. The authorizing agent signs the cremation authorization.

What is the difference between a niche and a columbarium?

A columbarium is a room or building with niches for funeral urns, according to NFDA. A niche is the individual space in a wall or structure that holds an urn.

What is the difference between cremation and aquamation?

Aquamation, also called alkaline hydrolysis, reduces a body to bone fragments with water, alkaline chemicals, heat, agitation and pressure instead of flame. CANA says it is available only where regulators accept it, with limited providers, so ask local providers.

Sources we checked

1.The Cremation Process (includes CANA's Glossary of Cremation Terms) · Cremation Association of North America
2.Funeral Service Terms · National Funeral Directors Association
3.NFDA Media Center · National Funeral Directors Association
4.16 CFR 453.1 Definitions · Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
5.16 CFR 453.4 Required purchase of funeral goods or funeral services · Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
6.What Kind of Cremation Services Do I Want? · Cremation Association of North America
7.Cremation Explained · Funeral Consumers Alliance
8.Industry Statistical Information · Cremation Association of North America

Written by Matt Morgan, Founder and editor

Matt founded End of Life Tools and researches every guide from primary sources such as the FTC, SSA, VA, IRS and state law. He is not a licensed professional, and guides are general information, not advice.

Checked against 8 official and industry sources · Updated Oct 16, 2026How we write and check guides

Please note: General information, not legal, financial or medical advice. Check the details with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Rules and prices change, so confirm anything important with the organization concerned. If you spot something out of date, tell us.

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