What does mortuary mean?
Mortuary is a formal word with meanings that vary somewhat between British and American English. As a noun, it can refer to a place where dead bodies are kept temporarily, particularly a hospital room or building; in the United States, it may also denote a funeral home that prepares the deceased and arranges funerals. As an adjective, “mortuary” describes things connected with death, burial, or the handling of bodies, as in “mortuary van” or “mortuary science.” The word is associated with practical, institutional, and sometimes solemn contexts, so it is more formal than everyday alternatives such as “morgue” or “funeral home.” Its clearest modern use is institutional, especially in hospitals and coroners’ services, but the American sense involving funeral businesses gives it a broader commercial meaning. Mortuary is useful because it concisely identifies both the place where the dead are held and the services connected with preparing them for burial.
A place where dead bodies are kept before burial, especially a room or building in a hospital or other institution; in American English, it can also mean a funeral home.
"The remains were transferred from the hospital mortuary to the funeral home."
In British English, the institutional sense is particularly common. In American English, the word may refer to a funeral home as well as a place for holding bodies.
Of or relating to death, burial, or the handling and preparation of dead bodies.
"The mortuary van transported the body to the chapel."
This use is formal and institutional, especially in medical, forensic, and funeral contexts.
The standard plural of the noun is “mortuaries.”
"The city opened two new mortuaries to handle emergency cases."
In British hospitals, “mortuary” can mean the room where the dead wait for release to their families, making an everyday administrative word carry a distinctly final association.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of mortuary
The English word comes through French mortuaire, ultimately from Latin mortuus, meaning “dead.” It developed from the same broad etymological root found in words such as mortal, mortality, and immortal; mortgage also reflects the idea of a “dead pledge.” The adjective sense relating to the dead appears in English in the late 16th century, while the noun meaning a place for holding bodies developed in the 17th century.
Related word forms
How mortuary is actually used
The word is especially common in British English for a hospital or institutional room or building where bodies are held. In American English, “mortuary” may mean a funeral home, while “morgue” more often refers specifically to a facility for storing bodies. The adjective is technical or institutional in tone.
Easily confused with mortuary
A morgue is specifically a place for storing dead bodies, often in a hospital or public facility, whereas mortuary can also mean a funeral home, especially in American English.