inter
inter — verb
1. to place a dead person's body into the earth inside a tomb or coffin, usually as
to place a dead person's body into the earth inside a tomb or coffin, usually as part of a formal funeral ceremony.
Minh's grandmother was interred in the village cemetery last spring.
passive: be interred + location (cemetery)
The soldiers who died in the battle were interred with full military honours.
collocation: interred with honours
Nora visited the old churchyard where her ancestors had been interred two centuries ago.
The ancient king's remains were interred beneath a large stone monument.
After the funeral, the priest blessed the coffin before it was interred in the earth.
- bury
the everyday, neutral term; 'inter' is much more formal and literary
- entomb
specifically means placing in a tomb, often with a sense of being sealed inside
- lay to rest
a gentle, euphemistic phrase used in obituaries and memorial services
文法句型
be interred + prepositional phrase (in / at / beneath)
inter + noun phrase (body / remains / ashes)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice. Only appropriate for the burial of a dead person or their remains — never used for objects or valuables.
常見錯誤
inter — prefix
1. added to the beginning of adjectives and nouns to describe something that connec
added to the beginning of adjectives and nouns to describe something that connects, involves, or exists between the people, groups, or places named in the base word.
An intercontinental flight connects two continents, such as a route from London to Singapore.
inter- + continental = between continents
The university set up an interdepartmental committee with members from history, physics, and art.
inter- + departmental = between departments
Tomás has strong interpersonal skills and works well with people from different cultures.
The intercity train runs between Taipei and Kaohsiung several times each day.
文法句型
inter- + adjective (national → international)
inter- + noun (city → intercity)
用法筆記
A highly productive prefix in English. You can attach inter- to many adjectives and nouns to create new words (e.g., interfaith, inter-school, inter-industry). Learners should check whether the newly formed word is in common use, but the meaning is usually transparent.