noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/nɛˈkɹɒpəlɪs/
Received-Pronunciation:/nɛˈkɹɒplɪs/
Received-Pronunciation:/nɪ-/
General-American:/nɛˈkɹɑpələs/
General-American:/nə-/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:N AH0 K R AA1 P AH0 L AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A cemetery; especially a large one in or near a city.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, figuratively, historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: necropole, boneyard, Boot Hill, burial ground, camposanto, cemetery, churchyard, crypt, God's acre, gravestead, graveyard, kirkyard, lichyard, marble orchard, memorial park, urupa
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An ancient site used for burying the dead, particularly if consisting of elaborate grave monuments.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A city or settlement where most people are dead and/or dying.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a tract of land used for burials
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cemetery, graveyard, burial site, burial ground, burying ground, memorial park
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: site, land site
Narrower terms: potter's field
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Koine Greek νεκρόπολις (nekrópolis, “city of the dead, cemetery”) (used to describe part of the city of Alexandria, Egypt), from Ancient Greek νεκρός (nekrós, “dead”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- (“to disappear; to perish”)) + πόλις (pólis, “city”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tpelH- (“city; fortification”)). The English word is analysable as necro- + -polis, and is cognate with French nécropole, German Nekropolis, Late Latin necropolis. The plural form necropoleis is derived from Ancient Greek νεκροπόλεις (nekropóleis).
Across languages
Translations
75 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
nekropolis
— cemetery
Arabic:
مَقْبَرَة
(maqbara)
— cemetery
Armenian:
նեկրոպոլիս
(nekropolis)
— cemetery
Armenian:
մահաքաղաք
(mahakʻaġakʻ)
— cemetery
Armenian:
մեռելաքաղաք
(meṙelakʻaġakʻ)
— cemetery
Asturian:
necrópolis
— cemetery
Basque:
nekropoli
— cemetery
Belarusian:
некропаль
(njekrópalʹ)
— cemetery
Bulgarian:
гробище
(grobište)
— cemetery
Catalan:
necròpolis
— cemetery
Chinese Mandarin:
墓地
(mùdì)
— cemetery
Czech:
nekropole
— cemetery
Danish:
nekropol
— cemetery
Dutch:
necropolis
— cemetery
Egyptian:
nTr-Xr:r-N25
(ẖrj-nṯr)
— cemetery
Egyptian:
D2:D21-X1:N25
(ḥrt)
— cemetery
Egyptian:
r:Z1-V2:V2-V2:xAst
(r-sṯꜣw m or)
— cemetery
