decease

American  

[dih-sees] / dɪˈsis /

noun

1. the act of dying; departure from life; death.

---

verb (used without object)

deceased, deceasing

1. to depart from life; die.

decease British  

/ dɪˈsiːs /

noun

1. a more formal word for death

---

verb

1. (intr) a more formal word for die 1

Etymology

Origin of decease

1300–50; (noun) Middle English deces < Old French < Latin dēcessus departure, death, equivalent to dēced-, variant stem of dēcēdere to go away ( dē- de- + cēdere to go; see cede) + -tus suffix of v. action, with dt > s; (v.) late Middle English decesen, derivative of the noun

Example Sentences

Her fortune was Thirty Thousand Pounds, at the Time of her Decease.

From Our Cats and All About Them Their Varieties, Habits, and Management; and for Show, the Standard of Excellence and Beauty; Described and Pictured by Weir, Harrison

I was called in on the third Day, a few Hours before her Decease.

From Advice to the people in general, with regard to their health by Tissot, S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David)

And again, after the Death of one of the Brothers—"But Charles, after his Brother's Decease, was constituted King by the consent of all the Franks."

From Franco-Gallia Or, An Account of the Ancient Free State of France, and Most Other Parts of Europe, Before the Loss of Their Liberties by Hotman, François

What I thought would become of that Land after this King’s Decease?

From An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies Together with an Account of the Detaining in Captivity the Author and Divers other Englishmen Now Living There, and of the Author's Miraculous Escape by Knox, Robert

And upon the Decease or Displacing of any of the said Officers, the succeeding Officer or Officers shall be chosen as aforesaid.

From The History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada Attachments and Support Papers by Colden, Cadwallader