Showing results for "deceased"

• past participle of decease.
• past tense form of decease.

deceased

American  

[dih-seest] / dɪˈsist /

adjective

1. no longer living; dead.

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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

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Synonym Usage

See dead.

Other Word Forms

• undeceased
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of deceased

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

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."

Related Words

• corpse
• dead body