What are the three main types of disposition?

The three main types of disposition in funeral service practice refer to the ways in which a body can be handled after death. Burial, cremation, and entombment are indeed recognized as the primary methods of disposition.

Burial involves interring the body in the ground, typically within a grave, and is one of the most traditional methods of disposition. Cremation involves reducing the body to ashes through intense heat, allowing for various post-cremation arrangements such as placement in an urn or scattering. Entombment refers to placing the body in a crypt or mausoleum above ground, providing an alternative to traditional burial.

Other options include practices that may not be conventionally classified as primary forms of disposition. For example, scattering of ashes is often associated with cremation but does not stand alone as a primary type of disposition. Similarly, natural decomposition and direct burial are methods that may be employed but are not as widely recognized as the main forms. Thus, identifying burial, cremation, and entombment as the three principal types reflects the established norms in funeral service practices.