student asking question

What's the difference between "tomb" and "grave"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Graves and tombs are both burial places for bodies, but there is a difference. A tomb is larger and much more elaborate, often involving a large underground chamber or monument erected over the body itself. Naturally, these are more common for people who had the power or money to build elaborate burial places. You can think of a grave as being much simpler and smaller in nature. Ex: The emperor's tomb was robbed by grave robbers many times over the centuries. Ex: The grave was small and only marked by a simple headstone.

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