deceased

1 of 2

adjective

de·ceased di-ˈsēst

Synonyms of deceased next

: no longer living

especially : recently dead

—used of persons

Both of his parents are deceased. deceased relatives

deceased

2 of 2

noun

plural deceased

: a dead person

the will of the deceased

did not release the deceased's name until his family had been notified

Choose the Right Synonym for deceased

dead, defunct, deceased, departed, late mean devoid of life.

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

defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently.

deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Example Sentences

Adjective the recently deceased tenant was found by a concerned neighbor

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In the 1988 film, Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis co-star as a recently deceased husband and wife who call on Beetlejuice to drive the new occupants (Catherine O’Hara and Jeffrey Jones) out of their old house. —

Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 10 May 2023 He was pronounced deceased by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, authorities said. —

Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 5 May 2023 Johnny Karris, 47, of Cordova, was fatally injured and pronounced deceased at the scene. —

Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 1 May 2023 Their deceased son’s catatonic ex-soldier-slash-illing machine friend? —

Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2023 Humphrey confirmed that the shooter — who has not been identified — is now deceased. —

Corin Cesaric, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2023 The most straight forward option would be to dispose of a deceased animal with the household waste. —

Eric Tourigny, CNN, 3 Apr. 2023 Just like the football field is named after deceased coach Jesse Parker, who put the Toros on the map as a state powerhouse in the 1970s, '80s and '90s. —

Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2023 Search-and-rescue teams continue to dig through the rubble for survivors, and the remains of the third deceased victim were only found late Saturday. —

Justin Klawans, The Week, 26 Mar. 2023

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 More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deceased.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.