demise

[ dih-mahyz ]

noun

1. death or decease.
2. termination of existence or operation:

   the demise of the empire.

3. Law.
   1. a death or decease occasioning the transfer of an estate.
   2. a conveyance or transfer of an estate.
4. Government. transfer of sovereignty, as by the death or deposition of the sovereign.

verb (used with object)

, de·mised, de·mis·ing.

1. Law. to transfer (an estate or the like) for a limited time; lease.
2. Government. to transfer (sovereignty), as by the death or abdication of the sovereign.

verb (used without object)

, de·mised, de·mis·ing.

1. Law. to pass by bequest, inheritance, or succession.

demise

/ dɪˈmaɪz /

noun

1. failure or termination

   the demise of one's hopes

2. See death
   a euphemistic or formal word for death
3. property law
   1. a transfer of an estate by lease
   2. the passing or transfer of an estate on the death of the owner
4. the immediate transfer of sovereignty to a successor upon the death, abdication, etc, of a ruler (esp in the phrase demise of the crown )

verb

1. to transfer or be transferred by inheritance, will, or succession
2. tr property law to transfer (an estate, etc) for a limited period; lease
3. tr to transfer (sovereignty, a title, etc) by or as if by the death, deposition, etc, of a ruler

Derived Forms

• deˈmisable, adjective

Other Words From

• de·misa·bili·ty noun
• de·misa·ble adjective
• nonde·mise noun
• unde·mised adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of demise¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English demise, dimis(s)e, from Old French demis, past participle of desmetre, from Latin dīmittere “to send away, dismiss”; dismiss

Word History and Origins

Origin of demise¹

C16: from Old French, feminine of demis dismissed, from demettre to send away, from Latin dīmittere; see dismiss

Example Sentences

While some went extinct as early as the 17th century,others may have met their demise by human means even far earlier—namely major Pleistocene megafauna like the woolly rhino.

From Popular-Science

This means even more stars can escape, quickening the cluster’s demise.

From Science News For Students

By the time Clark sent out the last issue in December 2019, after a detached retina left him temporarily blind in one eye, he had chronicled the demise of 16,000 factories, plants, and mills in 17 years.

From MIT Technology Review

Mack struggles with what the inevitable demise of everything means for humankind.

From Science News

The rest were sudden demises such as poisonings that involved another substance along with alcohol or alcohol-related car crashes.

From Science News

Such statements are rare, as the Guards routinely avoid going public with news about the demise of one of their commanders.

From The Daily Beast

Were they innocent victims or did they conduct themselves in a manner that would naturally lead to their demise?

From The Daily Beast

It was sad that my first visit to Court Green, which Sylvia had described so enthusiastically, should be after her demise.

From The Daily Beast

In the film, Turner begins to think about how his work will be seen after his demise.

From The Daily Beast

Ok, so the threatened demise of a social media presence might be a bit of a stretch, but you get the point.

From The Daily Beast

At his demise, he was succeeded by Philip A. Bell, who continues to keep one of the leading offices in the city.

From Project Gutenberg

The bill did not proceed beyond this stage of its progress, in consequence of the demise of the crown.

From Project Gutenberg

These events were supposed to foreshadow the speedy demise of the Peel administration.

From Project Gutenberg

His father lamented her demise for about a year, and then married again, several children being the result of this second union.

From Project Gutenberg

Egerton advised him that the demise was disadvantageous, but that it might be hard to terminate it without Browne's concurrence.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• collapse
• departure
• dissolution
• downfall
• extinction
• failure
• passing
• termination