New NFDA research reveals widespread confusion about funeral terminology, underscoring the critical need for clear communication about memorialization options
BROOKFIELD, Wis. (January 27, 2026) — When it comes to making informed decisions about funeral services, Americans are navigating a landscape filled with unfamiliar terms—and the confusion is costing families meaningful opportunities to honor their loved ones.
New research from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) reveals that approximately 75% of Americans have never heard the term “direct cremation,” and among those who have, many associate it with negative connotations or fundamentally misunderstand what it means. Some survey respondents described it as “cheap,” “for criminals,” or assumed it meant “no ceremony at all”—misconceptions that can lead families to make hasty decisions without fully understanding their options for meaningful memorialization.
“The language gap we discovered in our research is really about families potentially missing out on healing opportunities during one of life’s most difficult moments,” said Tim Schramm, NFDA spokesperson and funeral director. “When families don’t understand terminology or feel uncomfortable asking questions, they may not realize they can still have a meaningful funeral service—whether that’s a memorial service, celebration of life, or other gathering—even when choosing direct cremation without a service beforehand.”
The 2025 NFDA When Words Matter Study, which surveyed 1,104 consumers across four generations, found that only 25% of respondents had heard the term “direct cremation,” sometimes called “immediate cremation.” Even among those familiar with the term, understanding was limited. While 41% believed it simply meant a cremation that happens quickly after death, many overlooked a crucial detail: the phrase speaks only to timing. Direct immediate cremation means there is no service at the time of cremation – but it does not eliminate the opportunity for families to gather later to honor, remember, and celebrate a loved one’s life.
The terminology confusion extends beyond cremation. The study also found that only 16% of respondents could correctly define a “memorial service” as a ceremony without the body present in a casket, and more than 20% reported that funeral terminology in general was confusing.
“What concerns us most is when families equate affordability with eliminating all forms of memorialization,” said NFDA spokesperson Ellen Wynn McBrayer. “Having a meaningful service—whether a funeral, memorial service, or celebration of life—is essential to beginning a healthy grief journey.”
“Recently, we helped a family friend arrange a final resting place following her mother’s ‘direct’ cremation.” She shared. “I realized after my mom’s cremation that I was left with an empty void—no closure, just a heart that still aches. That realization is why I will be pre-planning my own funeral, so my children never have to experience what I’m feeling.”
Her words were a powerful reminder that without a space and moment to honor a life, grief can feel like an open sea—endless and directionless. A funeral or memorial provides a place to begin that journey, offering meaning, connection, and a path toward healing.
NFDA encourages families planning services to:
- Ask funeral directors to explain all terms in plain language. Don’t hesitate to request clarification—terms like “immediate cremation,” “direct cremation,” “memorial service,” and “celebration of life” can mean different things to different people.
- Understand the difference between disposition and memorialization. Clarify the difference between when a loved one is laid to rest (through burial or cremation) and when a meaningful service takes place—these are two separate decisions.
- Know your options for meaningful ceremonies. Choosing cremation does not eliminate the possibility of a meaningful ceremony. Families can hold a funeral with the body present before cremation, or a memorial service or celebration of life afterward—there is no time limit on when these services can occur.
- Take time to consider what would be most healing. Rather than making hurried decisions based on incomplete information or cost alone, consider what type of gathering would best support your family’s grief journey.
For more information about planning meaningful services and help finding a funeral home, visit rememberingalife.com.
About the National Funeral Directors Association
The National Funeral Directors Association is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers incomparable educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the promise that current and future generations of funeral professionals will thrive. For more information, visit nfda.org.
