Meaning & use
incineration
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Meaning
noununcountable
The process of burning something completely, especially waste, to destroy it or produce energy.
Grammar: Uncountable: no plural, and no 'a' before it. Say 'incineration of waste', not 'an incineration'.
Patterns
- incineration of something
- waste incineration
- incineration plant
The incineration of household waste reduces the amount of rubbish sent to landfills.
The new incineration plant will burn 200,000 tons of garbage each year.
Incineration can produce energy, but it also releases pollutants.
Common combinations
- waste incineration
- Waste incineration is common in countries with limited landfill space.
- incineration plant
- The incineration plant operates 24 hours a day.
- incineration of
- The incineration of medical waste must follow strict safety rules.
- incineration process
- The incineration process turns waste into ash and gas.
Synonyms and how they differ
- burning
- Burning is the general word for any fire; incineration is technical and suggests controlled, complete burning, especially of waste.
- combustion
- Combustion is a scientific term for the chemical process of burning; incineration is the practical act of burning waste.
Word family
- incinerate verb
- To burn something completely, especially waste.
- incinerator noun
- A machine or container for burning waste.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'incineration' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Incineration refers to controlled burning of waste, so 'hazardous waste' fits. A candle burns but is not incinerated; old letters are usually kept, not burned; a forest fire is not called incineration.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “incineration”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.