departed

adjective

de·​part·​ed di-ˈpär-təd How to pronounce departed (audio)
dē-
1
: bygone
departed days
2
: having died especially recently
mourning our departed friend
Choose the Right Synonym for departed

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 departed in a Sentence

a few crumbling ruins are all that remain of that departed civilization
Recent Examples on the Web Joining the core trio of Corgan, Iha and Chamberlin were bassist Jack Bates and guitarist Kiki Wong, who famously won the post from the departed Jeff Schroeder after a public casting call of more than 10,000. Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 30 July 2024 Farewell to Vivek Ramaswamy (good riddance, as the Trump toady was a rude, insulting embarrassment) and to Asa Hutchinson (who, along with the departed Chris Christie, were the only ones who correctly and honorably said that criminal convictions should disqualify Trump). New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 17 Jan. 2024 Harbaugh reiterated that the draft isn’t the only means by which the Ravens plan to fill the gaps left by departed starters Morgan Moses, Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 10 Apr. 2024 Christian Yelich remains confident Milwaukee can continue to contend even without departed ace Corbin Burnes and manager Craig Counsell. Steve Megargee, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for departed 

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

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of departed was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near departed

Cite this Entry

“Departed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/departed. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

departed

adjective
de·​part·​ed
1
: bygone
departed days
2
: no longer living

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