defunct
Americanadjective
-
no longer in effect or use; not operating or functioning.
a defunct law; a defunct organization.
-
no longer in existence; dead; extinct.
a defunct person; a defunct tribe of Indians.
noun
adjective
-
no longer living; dead or extinct
-
no longer operative or valid
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of defunct
1540–50; < Latin dēfunctus discharged, dead (past participle of dēfungī ), equivalent to dē- de- + functus performed; see function
Explanation
Defunct describes something that used to exist, but is now gone. A magazine that no longer publishes, like Sassy, the girl-power mag from the '90s, is defunct, for example. Although defunct comes from the Latin word defunctus meaning "dead," it's not usually used to describe a person who's no longer with us, but rather institutions, projects, companies and political parties — you know, the boring stuff. Keep digging and you'll find that defunctus comes from defungi, meaning, "to finish," which is closer to how it's used today. Defunct can also refer to a rule or law that's no longer used or has become inactive, like prohibition.
Vocabulary lists containing defunct
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Grade 9, List 2
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The Lightning Thief
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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.
Defunct wildlife farms sat as close as one mile from the entrances.
From Washington Post • Oct. 10, 2021
Mr. Delzer, the proprietor of a secondhand store in Nashville called Defunct Books, has a different view.
From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2020
Defunct, unused accounts are almost assuredly included in this number, too.
From Forbes • Mar. 21, 2011
Defunct timetables papered the walls; cigarette butts and chewing gum were stomped deep into the linoleum.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
There was once a play of which there has survived but the title: The Last Will and Testament of Defunct Jupiter.
From The Lords of the Ghostland A History of the Ideal by Saltus, Edgar
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.
