deceased 1 of 3

deceased

2 of 3

noun

deceased

3 of 3

verb

past tense of decease

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective deceased contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deceased are dead, defunct, departed, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

Where would dead be a reasonable alternative to deceased?

While in some cases nearly identical to deceased, dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

When is defunct a more appropriate choice than deceased?

The meanings of defunct and deceased largely overlap; however, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

When could departed be used to replace deceased?

The words departed and deceased can be used in similar contexts, but departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When is it sensible to use late instead of deceased?

Although the words late and deceased have much in common, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deceased
Adjective
On February 26, 2025, two deceased dogs were found discarded in trash bags bound by orange baling twine along Burns Road in Midway. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025 The film is described as The Martian meets 127 Hours, centering on a scuba diver in search of his deceased father’s remains who gets swallowed by an 80-foot, 60-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out. Justin Kroll, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
GEDMatch is one of the databases used by the DNA Doe project, a non-profit that works to name the deceased who remain unidentified. Crimesider Staff, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2018 See All Example Sentences for deceased
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceased
Adjective
  • My frustration arose in the smaller tasks, a few dishes here, day-old coffee in the pot there, a small stack of mail on the countertop, dead leaves falling off a plant, and more.
    Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
  • At least 148 people were found dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a motorized wooden boat caught fire and capsized, media reports citing local officials said on Friday.
    FOXNews.com, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Regulation makes clear that the decedent’s estate must be able to demonstrate that the decedent furnished no part of the consideration.
    Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D., Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Authorities did not release details about her death, but a family friend told Fox News on Sunday that the decedent suffered from a chronic medical condition.
    Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Nunn died in 2016 from leukemia at age 63.
    EW.com, EW.com, 28 Jan. 2025
  • Since the flames set a blaze, 27 people died and thousands of structures were destroyed, displacing entire communities.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • White dwarfs, conversely, are the cosmic corpses of smaller stars with masses more in line with that of the sun.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • In Wisconsin, the teen faces nine felony charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of hiding a corpse, according to online court records and a Waukesha County criminal complaint filed in late March.
    Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Cline never released a duet or other collaboration, and the new album features nine, including one with Cowboy Copas, who perished in the plane crash with Cline (along with fellow Opry star Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cline’s manager, Randy Hughes).
    Nancy Kruh, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
  • At least two former Major League Baseball players also perished in the disaster.
    Max Saltman, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But the prolific writer-director’s latest provides an illustration of how the genre became somewhat fossilized via formulaic writing and overexposure even before 1950s television began churning out Western content in bulk.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Kosminsky’s latest intervention comes as UK Parliament’s Culture, Media & Sport Committee recommended that, if the industry can’t design its own scheme, the government should force the likes of Netflix to pay a 5% revenue levy into a cultural fund that supports local high-end TV production.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Related article Damage to ancient Hadrian’s Wall confirmed after famous UK tree ‘deliberately felled’ Jon Stokes, director of trees, science and research at the Tree Council, said in the trust’s statement that ancient oaks can live up to 1,000 years.
    Olivia Kemp, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025
  • In some scenes of the film, the relationship remains much closer as in Myanmar, where loggers use elephants to move giant trees felled for timber.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But with Harden, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac taking the majority of the shots instead of the departed Paul George and a rehabilitating Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers score 45.9 percent of their points in the paint (fifth in NBA).
    Law Murray, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
  • These spirits not only provide a thoughtful toast to the departed but also serve as a reminder of Mexico’s deep traditions and reverence for the past.
    Rachel King, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Deceased.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceased. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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