The word “entomb” can show up in two very different places: on cemetery paperwork, where it’s part of burial terminology, and in Magic: The Gathering, where “Entomb” is the name of a famous card. If you’re seeing the word in both contexts, it helps to separate them. The funeral definition is the foundation. The game usage borrows that meaning on purpose, because the word carries a clear image of “placing something into a final resting place.”
This guide clarifies the entomb meaning first, then explains entombment vs interment in everyday terms, and finally unpacks the MTG card’s rules text and the current entomb ban update—with links you can verify.
Entomb Meaning and Entomb Definition
In plain language, to entomb means to place remains in a tomb. Merriam-Webster defines “entomb” as “to deposit in or as if in a tomb : bury,” and it also notes the word can be used more broadly for something that “serves as a tomb for.”
In funeral and cemetery settings, you’ll most often see the related noun: entombment meaning. Merriam-Webster defines “entombment” as “the act or process of entombing : burial.”
Because cemeteries and state regulations often need a more specific definition than a dictionary, you’ll also see “entombment” defined in formal language. For example, Montana’s statutory definitions state: “Entombment means the placement of human remains in a crypt or vault.” See Montana Code (Definitions)
What Entombment Looks Like in Real Life
Entombment is typically “above-ground placement.” Instead of burial in a grave, the casket (or sometimes an urn) is placed into a structure—most often a mausoleum—inside a crypt or similar chamber, and then sealed. A cemetery education article from the Catholic Cemeteries Association describes the core difference simply: interment is typically in the ground, while entombment is typically above ground in a mausoleum.
It’s also common for mausoleums to include dedicated urn spaces (niches). When an urn is placed in a niche, some cemeteries still use “inurnment” language, while others use “entombment” as a broad term for above-ground placement. If you’re trying to decode a contract, it helps to focus on the physical reality: crypt (casket space), niche (urn space), or grave (in-ground space).
If you want a simple cemetery-term reference written for families, Funeral.com’s Journal guide is designed for this exact “paperwork fog” moment: Interment Words and Funeral Terminology: A Simple Glossary.
Entombment vs Interment: The Difference That Usually Matters
Families often search entombment vs interment because both terms appear on fee sheets and authorizations. The easiest way to understand it is that “interment” is commonly used as the umbrella term for final placement in a cemetery, while “entombment” is one specific type of placement.
Some cemeteries define “interment” as the disposition of remains by burial or entombment. For example, a cemetery terminology page defines interment as “the disposition of human remains by entombment or burial in a cemetery.”
In practice, the word choice usually signals the setting:
- Interment: commonly used for in-ground burial work (opening/closing, setting, restoring), and sometimes used broadly for any final cemetery placement.
- Entombment: commonly used for mausoleum placement (crypt or chamber), typically above ground.
If you’re planning cremation placement, the terms can overlap even more, because an urn can be buried (in-ground) or placed above ground in a niche. For that cremation-specific wording—especially inurnment vs interment—Funeral.com’s inurnment guides are useful references: Inurnment Meaning and Inurnment vs. Inurement.
Mausoleum Entombment and Urn Placement
Mausoleum entombment usually refers to placing a casket in a crypt, which is then sealed with a faceplate. Families often choose this for weather protection, permanence, and the experience of visiting a clean, structured memorial space. Some mausoleums also contain urn niches (sometimes called “columbarium niches” even when they are inside the mausoleum), and the cemetery may use different vocabulary depending on whether the placement is a casket or an urn.
If your plan involves an urn niche, one practical detail matters more than most people expect: niche fit is about the urn’s exterior dimensions, not just capacity. Before purchasing an urn for niche placement, get the niche’s interior height, width, and depth in writing and compare to the urn’s exterior measurements. Funeral.com’s guide walks through the measuring process in plain language: Columbarium Niche Fit.
If you’re shopping for an urn that may eventually go into a niche, starting with a curated urn collection can help you filter by size and material without guessing. See cremation urns for ashes and, if personalization matters, engravable cremation urns for ashes.
Obituary and Program Wording That Uses “Entombment” Correctly
Families often want wording that is accurate but not overly formal. These examples work for obituaries, printed programs, and announcements, and you can adjust the level of detail based on privacy preferences.
- “Entombment will take place at [Mausoleum Name] in [City] on [Date].”
- “Entombment will be private. A memorial service will be held on [Date] at [Location].”
- “A committal service will be followed by entombment at [Cemetery/Mausoleum Name].”
- “Entombment in the [Family Name] mausoleum will take place at a later date.”
If you’re unsure which term your cemetery expects on paperwork, it’s appropriate to ask directly: “Do you refer to this placement as interment, inurnment, or entombment on your forms?” That one question prevents a lot of confusion later.
The MTG ‘Entomb’ Card Meaning
Now, the game usage. In Magic: The Gathering, “Entomb” is the name of a well-known spell that “buries” a card into your graveyard on purpose, usually to set up reanimation or graveyard synergies. The card’s rules text is succinct: you search your library for a card, put that card into your graveyard, then shuffle.
The name is not random. The game uses graveyard language deliberately—graveyard, burial, reanimate, exhume—because it creates an intuitive story: you are “entombing” a chosen card, placing it into a kind of temporary resting place (the graveyard) where it can later be returned, copied, or used as a resource.
Entomb Ban Update: What’s Banned, Where, and How to Verify
If your keyword search includes entomb ban update, you’re likely asking about competitive legality. The official source of truth is Wizards of the Coast’s format-by-format banned and restricted lists and their announcement posts.
As of the Banned and Restricted Announcement – November 10, 2025, Wizards announced that Entomb is banned in Legacy, and also listed Entomb as pre-banned in Historic (an MTG Arena format). The same announcement lists the next scheduled announcement date as February 9, 2026.
Wizards’ consolidated Banned & Restricted List also shows Entomb under the Legacy banned cards section and under Historic as “Pre-Banned.”
If you’re wondering about Commander specifically, Entomb does not appear on Wizards’ Commander banned cards list on the same page, which strongly implies it remains legal in Commander under that published list (Commander legality can also be influenced by the Commander Rules Committee’s own announcements).
If you want the safest, low-effort habit: when someone mentions a ban, check the official list and the most recent official announcement post, because “format legal” and “banned” are not the same thing (a card can be legal in one format, banned in another, and not part of a third format’s card pool at all).
Why This Word Shows Up in Pop Culture and Games
Words like “entomb,” “inter,” “reanimate,” and “exhume” persist in storytelling because they carry immediate meaning. Even if you’ve never planned a funeral, you understand the image: something placed into darkness and sealed away. In games, that symbolism becomes mechanics. In memorial settings, the same word becomes paperwork. The contexts are different, but the emotional logic behind the word is consistent.
If your reason for reading this guide is funeral planning rather than gaming, the practical takeaway is simple: “entombment” generally points to mausoleum placement, “interment” is commonly used for burial (and sometimes as an umbrella), and “inurnment” is commonly used for urn placement—especially in niches. If you want a one-page reference for these terms while you’re reading contracts, start here: Interment Words and Funeral Terminology: A Simple Glossary.
