decedent

American  

[dih-seed-nt] / dɪˈsid nt /

noun

Law.

1. a deceased person.

---

decedent British  

/ dɪˈsiːdənt /

noun

1. law a deceased person

---

Etymology

Origin of decedent

1590–1600; < Latin dēcēdent- (stem of dēcēdēns ) departing, withdrawing, present participle of dēcēdere. See decease, -ent

Explanation

A decedent is someone who has died. Decedents are deceased. Every language has ways to avoid saying the dead guy, and English has two that come from the same root: deceased, a formal and impersonal way of designating one recently departed, and decedent, the version preferred when a lawyer is in the room. Both words are from Latin decedere, meaning "to die." Decedents include all dead people, no matter when they died. Someone who died an hour ago is a decedent as well as someone who died 300 years ago.

Example Sentences

A will cannot override a previously recorded life estate, since the decedent no longer holds full ownership of the property at the time of death.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

“We are specifically looking to identify the white male adult decedent, who is between the ages of 35 and 40, approximately 6’ and 200# with short brown hair and facial hair,” the statement said.

From Salon • Sep. 2, 2025

The worse outcomes experienced by the one decedent may be partly because this heart was smaller than anticipated for the recipient's size, and required an extra procedure to compensate for it, the researchers said.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

But these so-called decedent models come with their own challenges: they usually involve just one person and usually only last for days to weeks.

From Scientific American • Oct. 11, 2023

Now, sir, if I chose, if the bequest required it, I could give a further explanation, with more substance; of moneys borrowed by the decedent in his travels and to be returned to me.

From The Sleuth of St. James's Square by Post, Melville Davisson