Glossary
What is crematory?
A crematory is a facility that performs cremations, housing the specialized furnace used to reduce a body to bone fragments. Some funeral homes operate their own crematory on site, while others send bodies to a separate licensed facility.
The cremation chamber, sometimes called a retort, reaches very high temperatures — typically well over 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit — to carry out the process over roughly two to three hours. Afterward the bone fragments are cooled, any metal such as surgical implants is removed, and the remaining bone is processed into the coarse, sandy material families receive.
Reputable crematories follow strict identification procedures so the remains returned to a family are unambiguously those of their loved one — a metal identification tag accompanies the body through the process, and many facilities maintain a chain-of-custody log. Operators will not proceed without the required cremation authorization and, where applicable, the medical examiner's release.
Whether a funeral home owns its crematory or uses a third party can affect both cost and timing, so it is fair to ask which applies. Licensing and operating standards for crematories vary by state, covering how the facility runs and how remains are handled and identified.
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.
Mortuary
A mortuary is a facility where bodies are received, prepared, and held before burial or cremation. The term is often used interchangeably with funeral home, though a mortuary can also mean a building focused on preparation and storage of the body.
Cremation authorization
Cremation authorization refers to the signed legal permission required before a body can be cremated. It is given by the legally authorized next of kin or a designated agent, and crematories will not proceed without it.
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.
See also
Common questions about Crematory
Sources
Explore with AI
This definition is general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws and prices vary by state and provider. See our editorial standards.