undertaker

IPA/ˈʌndəteɪkə(r)/
KK[ˈʌndɚtˌekɚ]IPA/ˈʌndərteɪkər/

undertaker — noun

  • undertakersingular
  • undertakersplural

1. someone trained to handle the body of a person who has died and to help the fami

1.nounB2
Definition

someone trained to handle the body of a person who has died and to help the family make plans for a funeral or cremation

Example

After Grandfather passed away, the family met with an undertaker to discuss the funeral arrangements.

collocation: met with an undertaker

Ada works as an undertaker and helps families plan memorial services for their loved ones.

work as + [occupation]

Common collocations
  • met with an undertaker
  • work as an undertaker
  • become an undertaker
  • the local undertaker
  • call the undertaker
  • the undertaker's (office/shop)
Synonyms
  • funeral director

    modern professional title; standard term in official and business contexts

  • mortician

    chiefly American English; specifically focuses on embalming and preparing the body

Usage Note

In professional contexts, funeral director or mortician are now more common than undertaker, especially in American English. The older term undertaker is still widely understood and used in British English.

Common Mistakes

The undertaker conducted the wedding ceremony.
The undertaker organized the funeral service.
An undertaker arranges funerals, not weddings or other ceremonies.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Undertaker is the traditional term, still common in British English and understood everywhere, but it can sound old-fashioned or less respectful in modern professional settings. Funeral director is the preferred term in the funeral industry — it sounds more official and places emphasis on managing the entire ceremony and supporting the family. Mortician is mainly American and specifically refers to the person who prepares the body (embalming, cosmetic work), though in practice the roles often overlap. A funeral home might employ both a funeral director (handling paperwork and the service) and a mortician (handling the body), while an undertaker in a small town might do both jobs.

undertaker ↗funeral directormortician ↗

Etymology

English

Formed within English from 'undertake' (meaning 'to take on a task') and the suffix '-er' (meaning 'someone who does something'). In the 1400s it simply meant a person who took on any job or business project. By the late 1600s it had become the standard word for someone who handles funeral arrangements — the specific 'task' that people most needed someone else to take on.