defunct

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adjective de·funct \ di-ˈfəŋkt , dē- \

Definition of defunct

:no longer living, existing, or functioning

wrote for a magazine that is now defunct

a defunct railroad

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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 of defunct from the Web

The survivors stayed in the cabin Weaver built, ignoring pleas to surrender from people like Aryan Nations leader Richard Butler, whose now-defunct neo-Nazi group was based in nearby Hayden Lake.

— Washington Post, "25 years later, Ruby Ridge standoff inspires militia groups," 30 Aug. 2017
A Miami spa owner was sentenced to six years in federal prison Wednesday for using liquid silicone smuggled from Colombia for injections that enlarged the buttocks of hundreds of customers at her now-defunct West Flagler Street clinic.

— daniel chang, miamiherald, "Miami spa owner sent to prison for butt injections using smuggled Colombian silicone," 30 Aug. 2017
Many of the images come from UA's annual and sadly now-defunct Corolla yearbook, a wonderful artifact documenting the school's rich history for decades.

— ben flanagan | bflanagan@al.com, AL.com, "70 years of Alabama Bid Day: Looking back at more than seven decades of sorority rush," 16 Aug. 2017
Before the first reintroduction, in 2000 on a 100-square-kilometer island off Estonia called Hiiumaa, hunters and a trapper killed the island’s entire American mink population, the legacy of a defunct fur farm.

— kata karáth, Science | AAAS, "Scientists think they can save the European mink—by killing its ruthless rivals," 16 Aug. 2017
What Granato and Johannson experienced in '88 -- then as minor pros with only one season of experience apiece in the now-defunct IHL -- isn't altogether unlike what their players will face next February.

— alex prewitt, SI.com, "Former Olympic Teammates Aim to Steer U.S. to PyeongChang Gold Despite Roster Challenges," 9 Aug. 2017
Now-defunct Fisker Automotive produced the Karma four-door sedan in 2012.

— hannah elliott, Bloomberg.com, "Don’t Buy a Karma Revero, Buy a Tesla Instead. Or Anything Else.," 4 Aug. 2017
Cuts continue from the now-defunct tangible personal property tax, or TPP.

— jessie balmert, Cincinnati.com, "Is your school losing state money?," 20 July 2017
The man behind the defunct Brickell favorite Bachour Bakery will open a new pastry shop in Coral Gables.

— carlos frías, miamiherald, "Bachour will open new bakery in Coral Gables," 17 July 2017

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

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".

Origin and Etymology of defunct

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1599

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defunct Synonyms

Synonyms

bygone, bypast, dead, extinct, departed, done, expired, gone, nonextant, vanished

Antonyms

alive, existent, existing, extant, living

Related Words

nonexistent; dying, faded, moribund; collapsed, fallen, overthrown; antiquated, dated, obsolete, passé; finished, lapsed, terminated; lost, missing

Near Antonyms

active, dynamic, thriving, vibrant

Synonym Discussion of 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.