Cemetery vs Graveyard - Do you know the difference?

In this edition of Weird Wednesday, we are diving in, 6 feet under, to explore the difference between a Cemetery and a Graveyard. Spoiler alert: once someone points it out, it’s surprisingly obvious.

Leave to Merriam Webster to have an entire entry on this complete with cheeky commentary.

First, A Quick History Lesson

According to the dictionary:

“Cemetery is the older of the two words in English, first used in the 1400s and descended ultimately from the Greek word koimētērion, meaning ‘sleeping chamber’ or ‘burial place.’
The first known use of graveyard in print occurred a few centuries later, in the mid-1700s.”

So yes—cemetery came first.

A cemetery… or a graveyard?

The Actual Difference Between a Cemetery and a Graveyard

What Is a Graveyard?

A graveyard specifically refers to a burial place that is:

• Located next to a church

• Traditionally part of church grounds

• Literally a burial yard

If there’s a church attached, you’re almost certainly talking about a graveyard.

What Is a Cemetery?

A cemetery is:

• Any designated burial place

• Not required to be associated with a church

• Often municipally or privately operated

Most modern burial grounds fall into this category.

Why We Use the Words Interchangeably

For the non-enthusiast, these words are used interchangeably with one common exception. Graveyard is more often used in other contexts beyond the burial of the human dead, very few people are going to be caught talking about an equipment “cemetery”.

The Takeaway

All graveyards are cemeteries, but not all cemeteries are graveyards. The difference isn’t about what’s buried—it’s about whether there’s a church involved.

Weird, right? That’s language for you.