A ceremony to honour and remember a deceased person. Often distinguished from a memorial service by the presence of the body of the deceased.
"The family gathered at the church for the funeral, where they stood vigil beside his casket before the final rites were performed."
In plain English: A funeral is a ceremony where people gather to say goodbye to someone who has died.
"The family gathered for the funeral to say goodbye to their grandmother."
Usage: Use funeral to refer specifically to a ceremony where the deceased person's body or casket is present for burial or cremation. Distinguish it from a memorial service, which honors the dead without their physical remains being there.
Alternative form of funereal
"She wore a somber, funereal outfit to the gathering, though some guests jokingly called it an alternative funeral style for the occasion."
In plain English: There is no adjective form of the word funeral; it is always used as a noun to describe a ceremony for someone who has died.
"The funeral arrangements were made with great care and respect by the family."
Usage: The adjective form of funeral is rarely used in modern English; instead, use the word funereal to describe something resembling or related to a funeral, such as a somber atmosphere. Avoid calling an event a "funeral-style" unless specifically contrasting it with a standard ceremony, as funereal remains the standard descriptor for mournful tones.
The word "funeral" comes from the Latin fūnus, meaning death or corpse, though its ultimate origin remains unknown. It entered English via Middle French to describe funeral rites, with singular and plural forms used interchangeably until around 1700.