deceased
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Synonym Usage
See dead.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deceased
Explanation
When someone is deceased, they are dead — not dying or even just about to die. They are dead. The word deceased has been around since the 15th century, however, when people talk of someone's having died, they rarely use deceased in conversation. For example, if you ask someone how their dog is and their dog is recently deceased, they'll most likely use a less technical phrase such as "no longer with us," or "passed away." The word deceased is more formal, and most often used in the documentation of death or in legal situations, as in "we are here to read the will of the deceased."
Vocabulary lists containing deceased
Salt to the Sea
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"Superman and Me" and "A Smart Cookie/It's Our Story, Too"
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The War I Finally Won
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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.
Because a survivor’s benefit is based on the deceased spouse’s claiming age, a delay by the higher earner also means a larger benefit for the surviving spouse.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Election authorities say the exercise was aimed at eliminating duplicate, deceased and fraudulent entries.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
The mourning is also a form of group therapy, allowing those who never knew the deceased personally to hear about their legacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The last living hostages from Nir Oz were returned to Israel on 13 October 2025 and the remains of the last deceased hostage, Amiram Cooper, were brought back two weeks later.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Instead, both Odile and Francis thought the best tactic for getting a foot in the door was to commence French lessons with Pop, whose deceased husband had been the Professor of French before the war.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
