What is the process of preserving a deceased body called?

The process of preserving a deceased body is known as embalming. This technique involves the use of chemical substances to delay decomposition, sanitize, and restore a more life-like appearance to the body. Embalming serves multiple purposes, including allowing for an open-casket funeral, preserving the body for an extended period when immediate burial or cremation is not possible, and providing a respectful way for family and friends to view their loved one.

In contrast, interment refers to the act of burying a deceased person in a grave or tomb, exhumation is the process of removing a body from its grave, and cremation involves the reduction of a body to ashes using intense heat. While these other processes are related to the handling of deceased bodies, they do not focus on the preservation aspect that embalming specifically addresses.