deceased
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Related Words
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.
While some of those were due to duplicate entries or deceased voters, many were also removed for “logical discrepancies” flagged by software such as too-large families or improbable age gaps between parents and children.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
There was evidence of mice where all three of the deceased had worked, and one person had numerous mice in their home, according to the public health office for Mono County, home to Mammoth Lakes.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
Including a deceased German passenger, there are 149 people on board, among them 23 different nationalities.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
When the recently deceased mayor—the one whose funeral was mentioned several times during the trial—came up in discussion, he was described as beloved for his work on the city’s flowers.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
“Just as the deceased had requested,” said the paper, “a good time was had by all. It’s just too bad that the one who would have enjoyed it most couldn’t be there.”
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
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.
