What is the term for the process of preparing a body for burial or cremation?

The process of preparing a body for burial or cremation is known as embalming. This practice involves the treatment of the deceased’s body using various chemicals to preserve it, delay decomposition, and enhance its appearance for viewing or memorial services. Embalming is often an important step in funeral services, especially when there is a need for the body to be displayed at a viewing prior to the final disposition.

Burial refers specifically to the act of placing the body into the ground or a grave, while cremation is the process of reducing the body to ashes through fire. Interment is the term used for the actual burial of the remains, which can include either the burial of an embalmed body or the placement of cremated remains into a burial site. Thus, these other terms focus on specific aspects of what happens after the preparation is complete, rather than the process of preparing the body itself.