Deceased Definition & Meaning

American

British

Related Words

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms deceased American [dih-seest] / dɪˈsist /

adjective

1. no longer living; dead.

noun

1. the deceased,

   1. the particular dead person or persons referred to.

   2. dead persons collectively.

      to speak well of the deceased.

deceased British / dɪˈsiːst /

adjective

1. 1. a more formal word for dead

   2. ( as noun )

      the deceased

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See dead.

Other Word Forms

• undeceased adjective

Etymology

Origin of deceased

First recorded in 1480–90; decease + -ed 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Emergency services attended the scene, where sadly a 49-year-old man was confirmed deceased. His family have been informed," a spokesperson for the force said.

From BBC

In answer, the spirits accurately communicated the deceased’s city, occupation, religion, age, number of children, and the disease that killed him.

From Literature

The decomposition of her body indicated that she had already been "deceased for several weeks", investigators have said.

From BBC

However, that would be less likely if the cash was already legally yours and not being transferred directly from a deceased person’s account.

From MarketWatch

They passed air through larynges removed from deceased horses and then alternated the airflow between normal air and helium.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• corpse
• dead body

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.