Glossary
What is cremains?
Cremains is a common term for cremated remains — the bone fragments left after cremation, processed into a coarse, sandy material. They are returned to the family and can be kept in an urn, buried, scattered, or placed in a niche.
Cremated remains are not ash in the everyday sense; they are mainly processed bone. The volume returned for an adult is typically a few pounds and fits in a standard urn.
What you may legally do with cremains — keeping, burying, scattering on private or public land, or dividing among family — is governed by state and local rules, so it is worth checking before you make plans.
Related terms
Cremation
Cremation is the use of intense heat to reduce a body to bone fragments, which are then processed into cremated remains and returned to the family. It is an alternative to burial and can be paired with a funeral, a memorial, or no service at all.
Urn
An urn is a container that holds cremated remains. Urns come in many materials, sizes, and styles — from simple boxes to decorative vessels and biodegradable options — and may be kept at home, buried, or placed in a columbarium niche.
Scattering
Scattering is the dispersal of cremated remains in a chosen place, such as a garden, the sea, or private land. Where you may scatter is governed by state and local rules and by property owners' permission, so families usually check before planning.
Inurnment
Inurnment is the placing of cremated remains into an urn, or the placing of an urn into its final resting place such as a columbarium niche or a grave. It is the cremation counterpart to the burial term interment.
See also
Common questions about Cremains
Sources
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This definition is general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws and prices vary by state and provider. See our editorial standards.