defunct

adjective

de·​funct di-ˈfəŋkt 

dē-

: no longer living, existing, or functioning

wrote for a magazine that is now defunct

a defunct railroad

Did you know?

If you know that de- often means "the opposite of", it's easy to guess the meaning of defunct. Shakespeare seems to have been the first writer to use this adjective, in Henry V. Defunct American political parties include the Greenback Party, the Readjuster Party, and the Nullifier Party. Defunct Academy Awards categories include Best Dance Direction and Best Assistant Director. Defunct U.S. auto models include the Dudly Bug, the LuLu, the Hupmobile, the Gas-au-lec, and the Nu-Klea Starlite. But to speak of a person as defunct would sound disrespectful—which is how it sounds in e. e. cummings's famous poem "Buffalo Bill's defunct".

Synonyms of defunct

• extinct
• vanished
• expired
• gone

Choose the Right Synonym for defunct

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

Examples of defunct in a Sentence

She wrote for the now-defunct newspaper.

a stack of brochures and a few faded placards are all that remain of the defunct organization

Recent Examples on the Web

The report details dozens of defunct programs in places where America is struggling to secure its interests. —Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026

The terminal lost more than 95 percent of its container service in March 2015 when Hapag-Lloyd and now-defunct Hanjin Shipping pulled out of service there. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 12 Jan. 2026

Almost a decade later, a now defunct Wickaninnish Inn on land that was part of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve was established by Robin Fells and Geoff Crawford, but closed its doors in 1977. —Jennie Nunn, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026

Assuming the sensor is actually defunct, and assuming the culprit is a dead battery, is that something a reasonably adept, shade-tree, DIY’er can replace (no lift or tire removal tools)? —John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin defunctus, from past participle of defungi to finish, die, from de- + fungi to perform — more at function

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for defunct

• adjunct
• debunked
• disjunct
• flunked
• junked
• plunked
• trunked

Kids Definition

defunct

adjective

de·​funct di-ˈfəŋ(k)t 

: having finished the course of life or existence : dead, extinct

a defunct organization