departed 1 of 2

departed

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verb

past tense of depart
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective departed contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of departed are dead, deceased, defunct, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When is dead a more appropriate choice than departed?

While in some cases nearly identical to departed, 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

How does the word deceased relate to other synonyms for departed?

Deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. Deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

When might defunct be a better fit than departed?

The words defunct and departed are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

In what contexts can late take the place of departed?

In some situations, the words late and departed are roughly equivalent. However, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of departed
Adjective
These spirits not only provide a thoughtful toast to the departed but also serve as a reminder of Mexico’s deep traditions and reverence for the past. Rachel King, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 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
Verb
Eberechi Eze, so crucial at the end of last season with seven goals in six games, including the winner in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, departed for Arsenal in the summer, but that does not appear to have disrupted them. Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 During the centenary of the house this year, she was also tasked with the design of the women’s collections after Jones departed. Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for departed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for departed
Adjective
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has announced that several species of animals and plants have now gone extinct.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The species went virtually extinct elsewhere.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Empty cans of alcoholic seltzers and a cigarette carton littered the floor beside the fallen balcony.
    Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Her hero, Vernon, is a fallen Gen-Xer trying to survive it all—and the book is critical of his generation’s hypocrisies.
    Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Young exited Sunday’s win over the Jets near the end of the third quarter after getting sacked on a third-and-long.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The company says that Bimal Kapadia will become its new CEO, succeeding Skipper, who exited the company earlier this year.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The 19-year-old driver of the SUV, Yaakov Kilberg, and the three 18-year-old passengers — Aharon Lebovits, Shlomo Cohen and Chaim Grossman — all died, the outlets reported.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Despite lifesaving measures, the man died from his injuries, according to Adger.
    Julie Mendes, AZCentral.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Spirit Halloween won't be moving back into the defunct Towne Mall.
    Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025
  • New Jersey's infamous Staub was most famously arrested with six kilos of cocaine and $16,000 in cash, according to court documents obtained by the now-defunct Gawker.
    Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Vance on Tuesday downplayed concerns about the fragility of the ceasefire but declined to put a timeline on the return of all deceased hostages and Hamas’ complete disarmament.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Based on short story by late writer Naguib Mahfouz, The Last Miracle stars popular actor Khaled Kamal (The Blue Elephant, Clash) as a 40-year-old journalist who receives a phone call from a deceased Sheikh, which begins a spiritual journey of grief, faith and illusion.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Until Riley Moss drew the pass-interference call of all pass-interference calls, a flag that moved New York from the 40-yard line to the 1.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
  • To measure the centre of gravity of the submarine, 16 tonnes of lead weights are brought on board and moved side-to-side.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That report blamed OceanGate, with particular culpability placed on OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who perished in the disaster.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The role of Doug McBride, who was played byJason Graham, perished in a car crash.
    Lynette Rice, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Departed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/departed. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

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