deceased 1 of 3

adjective

di-ˈsēst How to pronounce deceased (audio)
Definition of deceasednext
as in dead
no longer living the recently deceased tenant was found by a concerned neighbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deceased

2 of 3

noun

as in decedent

Synonyms & Similar Words

deceased

3 of 3

verb

past tense of decease
as in died
to stop living no one knows what happened to the family fortune after the spinster deceased

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  1. dead
  2. decedent
  3. died
  4. corpse
  5. perished
  6. late
  7. fell
  8. departed
Adjective
  • Matthew Terrell Collins Sr., 58, and Matthew Terrell Collins Jr., 29, were pronounced dead at the scene around 6:06 p.m.
    — David Matthews, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
  • On the second day of the year, police responded to a call where a father and his son and daughter were found dead.
    — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of dead
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
Definition of decedent
Verb
  • An American Airlines employee has died following an accident on the tarmac in North Carolina.
    — Angel Saunders, People.com, 28 Jan. 2025
  • Nunn died in 2016 from leukemia at age 63.
    — EW.com, EW.com, 28 Jan. 2025
Definition of died
Noun
  • With just two episodes left, 1923 weeds out its ensemble cast to the tune of seven fresh corpses.
    — Matt Cabral, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025
  • Matthew’s account of the empty tomb, followed by ever more elaborate resurrection narratives, serves, Pagels suggests, both to address the practical difficulties of reclaiming the bodies of the executed and to counter skeptical claims that Jesus’ corpse had simply been stolen.
    — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of corpse
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
Definition of perished
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
  • One giant got distracted by a wandering minstrel One giant overslept and started late Clues: Brumm is not the fastest builder but didn’t oversleep.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of late
Verb
  • Little more than an hour later, he would be felled by an assassin’s bullet.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Martinez helped lead the Mets to the NLCS where they were felled by his former club.
    — Dan Freedman, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of fell
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
Definition of departed

Browse Nearby Words

decease
deceased
deceases
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Cite this Entry

“Deceased.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceased. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

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