necropolis

[ nuh-krop-uh-lis, ne- ]

noun

, plural ne·crop·o·lis·es.

1. a cemetery, especially one of large size and usually of an ancient city.
2. a historic or prehistoric burial ground.

necropolis

/ nɛˈkrɒpəlɪs /

noun

1. a burial site or cemetery

Other Words From

• nec·ro·pol·i·tan [nek-r, uh, -, pol, -i-tn], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of necropolis¹

First recorded in 1810–20, necropolis is from the Greek word nekrópolis burial place (literally, city of the dead). See necro-, -polis

Word History and Origins

Origin of necropolis¹

C19: Greek, from nekros dead + polis city

Example Sentences

On 23 October, the IDF issued evacuation orders for neighbourhoods close to the city's Roman ruins, including the remains of a necropolis and a hippodrome.

From BBC

With World War II and the Holocaust, Hitler and the Nazis tried to turn Europe and the world into a necropolis — and they almost succeeded.

From Salon

His necropolis, or burial ground, stands out on the landscape because it also includes the Sphinx, a mysterious limestone monument with the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh.

From National Geographic

Further explorations revealed that other burial mounds and cemetery sites in the region have been affected by both missile strikes and underground trench systems, including one of the largest 11th-century necropolises in Ukraine.

From Science Daily

Notably, a 16-year-old male who was excavated from a necropolis in a large Roman city was of 100% East African ancestry.

From Science Daily