A sepulchre (also spelled sepulcher in American English) is a tomb or burial chamber, especially one carved from rock or built of stone. The word carries an ancient, solemn feeling: you wouldn't call a modern cemetery grave a sepulchre, but you might use it to describe the elaborate stone tombs of Egyptian pharaohs or the rock-cut burial chambers where wealthy Romans laid their dead to rest.

The most famous sepulchre in history is probably the tomb where Jesus was buried after his crucifixion, according to Christian tradition. Cut into a hillside and sealed with a heavy stone, it became central to the Easter story.

You'll encounter this word most often in historical contexts, classic literature, and poetry. Writers choose sepulchre over simpler words like “tomb” or “grave” when they want to evoke something ancient, sacred, or mysterious. When a character in a novel discovers a forgotten sepulchre beneath an old church, you know the story is about to get interesting. The word suggests a burial place with history, secrets, and significance that reaches across time.