decedent

noun de·ce·dent \ di-ˈsē-dᵊnt \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: decedent in a Sentence

law

: a person who is no longer living : a deceased person

the estate of the decedent

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Examples of decedent in a Sentence

a tax on the estate of the decedent

Recent Examples of decedent from the Web

Abraham and her daughter continued with their decedent dining experience, heading to Dubai’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, for Iftar – the meal after sunset that breaks the all-day fast during Ramadan – at the building’s Atmosphere restaurant.

— alexia fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Farrah Abraham’s Daughter Sips on $150 Apple Juice with Gold Flakes While on Vacation in Dubai," 30 May 2018
These new rules apply to estates of decedents dying and gifts made after Dec. 31, 2017 and before Jan. 1, 2026.

— wesley e. wright, Houston Chronicle, "Elder Law: Death, taxes and changes in the new tax act," 12 Feb. 2018
Under Wisconsin law, a parent who commits homicide loses his or her right to decide what to do with a decedent's remains.

— crocker stephenson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Judge rebukes absent father, orders funeral for abused child whose body languished at morgue," 9 Feb. 2018
Bob documented 40,000 decedents in his family tree going back as early as 4730 BC.

— courant.com, "Robert L. Savary," 21 Jan. 2018
The Santa Barbara Sheriff's Coroner's Office has identified the decedent as 28-year-old Faviola Benitez Calderon of Montecito.

— CBS News, "Body found of mother who went missing in Montecito mudslides, sheriff's office says," 20 Jan. 2018
Between Wednesday and Thursday, the decedents were officially identified as Nguyen and Orbeso.

— USA TODAY, "Joshua Tree hikers found locked in embrace died by murder-suicide, officials say," 21 Oct. 2017
The Rohingya, while not recognized as an ethnic group in Myanmar, are decedents of centuries of intermingling between indigenous Muslims and migrants from the area that is now Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal.

— Washington Post, "Myanmar Rohingya hatred has roots in Buddhist nationalism," 29 Sep. 2017
Due to suspicious circumstances and visible injuries to the decedents, detectives from the Specialized Investigations Division-Homicide Detail were requested to respond to the location.

— USA TODAY, "Joshua Tree hikers found locked in embrace died by murder-suicide, officials say," 21 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'decedent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of decedent

Latin decedent-, decedens, present participle of decedere — see decease

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1599

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

Financial Definition of DECEDENT

decedent

noun

What It Is

In legal terms, a decedent is a dead person.

How It Works

Let's say John Doe dies this year. He is a decedent. His will and trust enabled him to direct what happened to his possessions and his money. The legal proceedings associated with settling his estate will refer to John Doe as the decedent.

Why It Matters

From a financial perspective, decedents don't stop existing after they die. Their estates still have to file a tax return for the year in which the decedent died, for one thing.

Establishing a trust often reduces estate taxes because it allows a person to transfer legal title of his or her property to another person while he or she is alive. It also gives the trustee (the person acting on behalf of the decedent) the authority to distribute assets immediately to the beneficiaries based on the terms of the trust. No court is involved, so there are no probate fees and no public record of the value of the estate. Many financial advisors urge clients to have trusts, especially those who live in states where probate fees are especially high or if the client owns a home or real estate. Trusts are not for everyone, however, so it is important to seek proper financial advice.

Source: Investing Answers