deceased 1 of 3

adjective

di-ˈsēst How to pronounce deceased (audio)
Definition of deceasednext
as in dead
no longer living the recently deceased tenant was found by a concerned neighbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deceased

2 of 3

noun

as in decedent

Synonyms & Similar Words

deceased

3 of 3

verb

past tense of decease
as in died
to stop living no one knows what happened to the family fortune after the spinster deceased

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective deceased contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deceased are dead, defunct, departed, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

Where would dead be a reasonable alternative to deceased?

While in some cases nearly identical to deceased, 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

When is defunct a more appropriate choice than deceased?

The meanings of defunct and deceased largely overlap; however, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

When could departed be used to replace deceased?

The words departed and deceased can be used in similar contexts, but departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When is it sensible to use late instead of deceased?

Although the words late and deceased have much in common, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Examples 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 deceased
Adjective
The fraudulent charges were discovered by a businessman, who reported the credit card had been originally issued to his father, who was deceased, the sheriff’s office said. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025 Unfortunately, Erskine already is on shaky ground with Viscount David Brooke (a subtly expressive Mark Strong), who has recently replaced his deceased father as editor of The London Chronicle, and doesn’t share his high regard for Erskine’s flamethrower prose. —Joe Leydon, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
GEDMatch is one of the databases used by the DNA Doe project, a non-profit that works to name the deceased who remain unidentified. —Crimesider Staff, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2018 See all Example Sentences for deceased 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceased
  1. dead
  2. decedent
  3. died
  4. corpse
  5. perished
  6. late
  7. fell
  8. departed
Adjective
  • He was later pronounced dead at University of Arkansas of Medical Sciences at 4 p.m. Saturday.
    — Daniel McFadin, arkansasonline.com, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Caleb was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, but not before making a phone call.
    — Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
Definition of dead
Noun
  • Historians also believe that the decedents may have been part of the same Viking family.
    — Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
  • The alternate valuation date, established under Section 2032 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), allows the executor of an estate to value the estate’s assets as of six months after the decedent’s death instead of using the date of death.
    — Ashley Case, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Definition of decedent
Verb
  • After a lifetime of making people laugh, Newhart died on July 18 at his home in Los Angeles.
    — Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The Hamilton County Coroner's Office is requesting help finding the relatives of a man who died this week.
    — Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of died
Noun
  • The huge kind that gnaw on zombie corpses in sewers.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 10 Jan. 2025
  • To erase evidence of the killings, gang members mutilated and burned most of the bodies, and dumped corpses into the ocean, the the U.N. said.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025
Definition of corpse
Verb
  • Of the 181 people onboard, 179 perished.
    — Marisa Garcia, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
  • Most of the animals that perished were small birds, according to officials.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Jan. 2025
Definition of perished
Adjective
  • Three players have played left tackle, and a fourth — D.J. Humphries, signed in late November — may get the nod Saturday over converted guard Joe Thuney.
    — Mike Jones, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Among the companies in the race to produce that truck is Tesla, which has announced plans to begin high-volume production of its semi in late 2025.
    — Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
Definition of late
Verb
  • Minx’s reprieve was short-lived with season 2 being felled by limited press opportunities during the 2023 strikes — and sadly, third chances aren’t really a thing.
    — EW Staff, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024
  • He was felled by a lightning quick Jofra Archer bouncer that smashed into the grille, but still scored a match-saving 59.
    — Tim Ellis, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Definition of fell
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
Definition of departed

Thesaurus Entries Near deceased

decease

deceased

deceases

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Deceased.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceased. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on deceased

Nglish: Translation of deceased for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of deceased for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Top 12 Sophisticated Compliments

Word of the Year 2024 | Polarization

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
white rubber duck stands out in a row of yellow ducks
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.