Mortuary Science Glossary
Questions and Answers
Updated 2026
adaptiveBfuneralBriteB-
BAnswerBaBfuneralBriteBthatBisBadjustedBtoBtheBneedsBandBwantsBofBthoseBdirectlyBi
nvolved;Bone,BwhichBhasBbeenBalteredBtoBsuitBtheBtrendsBofBtheBtimes
blendedBfamilyB-
BAnswerBaBhouseholdBorBfamilyBunitBcreatedBbyBoneBmaleBandBoneBfemaleBandBthe
BchildrenBfromBtheirBpreviousBmarriagesBandBmayBincludeBchildrenBfromBtheBpresent
Bmarriage
bureaucratizationB-
BAnswerBtheBcreationBofBaBsystemBwhichBgovernsBthroughBdepartmentsBandBsubdivisi
onsBmanagedBbyBsetsBofBofficialsBfollowingBanBinflexibleBroutine
ceremonyB(ritual)B-
BAnswerBanBinstrumentalBactionBdealingBwithBdeath,BthatBisBalsoBexpressionalBandBth
atBmayBorBmayBnotBbeBchargedBwithBsymbolicBcontentBexpressing,BamongBotherBthin
gs,BtheBattitudesBofBtheBparticipantsBandBtheBpossibleBonlookersB(passiveBparticipants)
BwhoBmayBbeBregardedBasBco-beneficiaries
classB-
BAnswerBaBsocialBgroupingBinBwhichBmembersBpossessBroughlyBequivalentBculturallyBv
aluedBattributes
cohabitantsB-
BAnswerBtwoBunrelatedBadultsBofBtheBoppositeBsexBsharingBtheBsameBlivingBquarters
contemporaryB-BAnswerBlivingBorBhappeningBinBtheBsameBperiod
,culturalBrelativismB-
BAnswerBtheBemotionalBattitudeBthatBallBculturesBareBequalBandBpertinent
culturalBuniversalB-
BAnswerBlikeBabstractBpatternsBofBandBforBlivingBandBdying,BwhichBareBidentifiableBin
Ball
customsB-BAnswerBsocialBbehaviorBasBdictatedBbyBtheBtraditionBofBtheBpeople
demographicB-
BAnswerBpertainingBtoBdemography;BtheBscienceBofBvitalBstatistics,BorBofBbirths,Bdeat
hs,Bmarriages,Betc.BofBpopulations
egalitarianB-
BAnswerBmaleBandBfemaleBhaveBequalBright,Bduties,BandBgoverningBpower
enculturizationB-
BAnswerBtheBmethodBbyBwhichBtheBsocialBvaluesBareBinternalizedB(learned)
ethicB-
BAnswerBanyBofBtheBbasicBdivisionsBorBgroupsBofBhumankindBdistinguishedBbyBcusto
ms,Bcharacteristics,BandBlanguages,BratherBthanBphysicalBcharacteristicsBofBrace
enthocentrismB-
BAnswerBtheBemotionalBattitudeBthatBoneBownBrace,Bnation,Bgroup,BorBcultureBisBsup
eriorBtoBallBothers
extendedB(joint)BfamilyB-
BAnswerBaBhouseholdBorBfamilyBunitBconsistingBofBfatherBandBmother,BallBtheirBchildr
enB(exceptBmarriedBdaughters),BtheirBsons'Bwives,BandBchildrenB(exceptBmarriedBdaug
hters)
,folkwaysB-
BAnswerBbehaviorsBwhichBareBconstructedBasBsomewhatBlessBcompulsiveBthanBmores
BofBtheBsameBsociety,BandBdoBnotBcallBforBaBstrongBreactionBfromBtheBsocietyBifBviol
ated
funeralB-BAnswerBritesBwithBtheBbodyBpresent
funeralBriteB-BAnswerBanBall-
inclusiveBtermBusedBtoBencompassBallBfuneralsBand/orBmemorialBservices
funeralizationB-
BAnswerBaBprocessBinvolvingBallBactivitiesBassociatedBwithBfinalBdisposition
humanisticBfuneralBriteB-
BAnswerBaBfuneralBriteBthatBisBinBessenceBdevoidBofBallBreligiousBconotation
immediateBdispositionB-
BAnswerBanyBdispositionBofBaBhumanBremains,BwhichBisBcompletelyBdevoidBofBanyBfo
rmBofBfuneralBriteBatBtheBtimeBofBdisposition
industrializationB-
BAnswerBindividualBcraftingBofBproductsBisBreplacedBbyBmanufactureBofBgoodsButilizin
gBmassBproductionBtechniques
lawB-
BAnswerBaBmustBbehaviorBnotBnecessarilyBaBbasicBorBimportantBpatternBofBaBpeople
B(relatedBtoBdeath)BbutBoneBenforcedBbyBthoseBgoverning;BaBruleBofBactionBprescribe
dBbyBanBauthorityBableBtoBenforceBitsBwill
matriarchalB-
BAnswerBrelatingBtoBaBsocialBsystemBinBwhichBtheBmotherBisBheadBofBtheBfamily
, memorialBserviceB-BAnswerBfuneralBritesBwithoutBtheBbodyBpresent
mobilityB-
BAnswerBofBorBcharacteristicBofBtheBpresentBorBrecentBtimes,BnotBancientBoftenBused
BtoBdesignateBcertainBcontemporaryBperiods
modernB-
BAnswerBofBorBanyBcharacteristicBofBtheBpresentBorBrecentBtimes;BnotBancient,Boften
BusedBtoBdesignateBcertainBcontemporaryBtendencies
modifiedBextendedBfamilyB-
BAnswerBaBhouseholdBorBfamilyBunitBcreatedBbyBrelatedBnuclearBfamiliesBandBor/relat
ionships
moresB-BAnswerBmust-
behavior;BtheBbasicBandBimportantBpattersBofBideasBandBactsBofBaBpeopleBasBrelated
BtoBtreatmentBofBtheBdead,BwhichBcallsBforBaBstrongBreactionBfromBsocietyBifBviolate
d
neo-localismB-
BAnswerBtheBtendencyBofBoffspringBtoBmoveBawayBfromBtheBareaBinBwhichBtheyBwer
eBborn
non-traditionalBfuneralBriteB-
BAnswerBaBfuneralBriteBthatBdeviatedBfromBtheBnormalBorBprescribedBcircumstancesB
ofBestablishedBcustom
nuclearBfamilyB-
BAnswerBaBhouseholdBorBfamilyBunitBconsistingBofBoneBmanBandBone-
womanBmarriedBtoBeachBotherBandBtheirBchildren,BifBany.
patriarchalB-
BAnswerBtheBfatherBrulesBtheBfamily;BpowerBisBpassedBtoBtheBoldestBmale
Questions and Answers
Updated 2026
adaptiveBfuneralBriteB-
BAnswerBaBfuneralBriteBthatBisBadjustedBtoBtheBneedsBandBwantsBofBthoseBdirectlyBi
nvolved;Bone,BwhichBhasBbeenBalteredBtoBsuitBtheBtrendsBofBtheBtimes
blendedBfamilyB-
BAnswerBaBhouseholdBorBfamilyBunitBcreatedBbyBoneBmaleBandBoneBfemaleBandBthe
BchildrenBfromBtheirBpreviousBmarriagesBandBmayBincludeBchildrenBfromBtheBpresent
Bmarriage
bureaucratizationB-
BAnswerBtheBcreationBofBaBsystemBwhichBgovernsBthroughBdepartmentsBandBsubdivisi
onsBmanagedBbyBsetsBofBofficialsBfollowingBanBinflexibleBroutine
ceremonyB(ritual)B-
BAnswerBanBinstrumentalBactionBdealingBwithBdeath,BthatBisBalsoBexpressionalBandBth
atBmayBorBmayBnotBbeBchargedBwithBsymbolicBcontentBexpressing,BamongBotherBthin
gs,BtheBattitudesBofBtheBparticipantsBandBtheBpossibleBonlookersB(passiveBparticipants)
BwhoBmayBbeBregardedBasBco-beneficiaries
classB-
BAnswerBaBsocialBgroupingBinBwhichBmembersBpossessBroughlyBequivalentBculturallyBv
aluedBattributes
cohabitantsB-
BAnswerBtwoBunrelatedBadultsBofBtheBoppositeBsexBsharingBtheBsameBlivingBquarters
contemporaryB-BAnswerBlivingBorBhappeningBinBtheBsameBperiod
,culturalBrelativismB-
BAnswerBtheBemotionalBattitudeBthatBallBculturesBareBequalBandBpertinent
culturalBuniversalB-
BAnswerBlikeBabstractBpatternsBofBandBforBlivingBandBdying,BwhichBareBidentifiableBin
Ball
customsB-BAnswerBsocialBbehaviorBasBdictatedBbyBtheBtraditionBofBtheBpeople
demographicB-
BAnswerBpertainingBtoBdemography;BtheBscienceBofBvitalBstatistics,BorBofBbirths,Bdeat
hs,Bmarriages,Betc.BofBpopulations
egalitarianB-
BAnswerBmaleBandBfemaleBhaveBequalBright,Bduties,BandBgoverningBpower
enculturizationB-
BAnswerBtheBmethodBbyBwhichBtheBsocialBvaluesBareBinternalizedB(learned)
ethicB-
BAnswerBanyBofBtheBbasicBdivisionsBorBgroupsBofBhumankindBdistinguishedBbyBcusto
ms,Bcharacteristics,BandBlanguages,BratherBthanBphysicalBcharacteristicsBofBrace
enthocentrismB-
BAnswerBtheBemotionalBattitudeBthatBoneBownBrace,Bnation,Bgroup,BorBcultureBisBsup
eriorBtoBallBothers
extendedB(joint)BfamilyB-
BAnswerBaBhouseholdBorBfamilyBunitBconsistingBofBfatherBandBmother,BallBtheirBchildr
enB(exceptBmarriedBdaughters),BtheirBsons'Bwives,BandBchildrenB(exceptBmarriedBdaug
hters)
,folkwaysB-
BAnswerBbehaviorsBwhichBareBconstructedBasBsomewhatBlessBcompulsiveBthanBmores
BofBtheBsameBsociety,BandBdoBnotBcallBforBaBstrongBreactionBfromBtheBsocietyBifBviol
ated
funeralB-BAnswerBritesBwithBtheBbodyBpresent
funeralBriteB-BAnswerBanBall-
inclusiveBtermBusedBtoBencompassBallBfuneralsBand/orBmemorialBservices
funeralizationB-
BAnswerBaBprocessBinvolvingBallBactivitiesBassociatedBwithBfinalBdisposition
humanisticBfuneralBriteB-
BAnswerBaBfuneralBriteBthatBisBinBessenceBdevoidBofBallBreligiousBconotation
immediateBdispositionB-
BAnswerBanyBdispositionBofBaBhumanBremains,BwhichBisBcompletelyBdevoidBofBanyBfo
rmBofBfuneralBriteBatBtheBtimeBofBdisposition
industrializationB-
BAnswerBindividualBcraftingBofBproductsBisBreplacedBbyBmanufactureBofBgoodsButilizin
gBmassBproductionBtechniques
lawB-
BAnswerBaBmustBbehaviorBnotBnecessarilyBaBbasicBorBimportantBpatternBofBaBpeople
B(relatedBtoBdeath)BbutBoneBenforcedBbyBthoseBgoverning;BaBruleBofBactionBprescribe
dBbyBanBauthorityBableBtoBenforceBitsBwill
matriarchalB-
BAnswerBrelatingBtoBaBsocialBsystemBinBwhichBtheBmotherBisBheadBofBtheBfamily
, memorialBserviceB-BAnswerBfuneralBritesBwithoutBtheBbodyBpresent
mobilityB-
BAnswerBofBorBcharacteristicBofBtheBpresentBorBrecentBtimes,BnotBancientBoftenBused
BtoBdesignateBcertainBcontemporaryBperiods
modernB-
BAnswerBofBorBanyBcharacteristicBofBtheBpresentBorBrecentBtimes;BnotBancient,Boften
BusedBtoBdesignateBcertainBcontemporaryBtendencies
modifiedBextendedBfamilyB-
BAnswerBaBhouseholdBorBfamilyBunitBcreatedBbyBrelatedBnuclearBfamiliesBandBor/relat
ionships
moresB-BAnswerBmust-
behavior;BtheBbasicBandBimportantBpattersBofBideasBandBactsBofBaBpeopleBasBrelated
BtoBtreatmentBofBtheBdead,BwhichBcallsBforBaBstrongBreactionBfromBsocietyBifBviolate
d
neo-localismB-
BAnswerBtheBtendencyBofBoffspringBtoBmoveBawayBfromBtheBareaBinBwhichBtheyBwer
eBborn
non-traditionalBfuneralBriteB-
BAnswerBaBfuneralBriteBthatBdeviatedBfromBtheBnormalBorBprescribedBcircumstancesB
ofBestablishedBcustom
nuclearBfamilyB-
BAnswerBaBhouseholdBorBfamilyBunitBconsistingBofBoneBmanBandBone-
womanBmarriedBtoBeachBotherBandBtheirBchildren,BifBany.
patriarchalB-
BAnswerBtheBfatherBrulesBtheBfamily;BpowerBisBpassedBtoBtheBoldestBmale