demise

American  

[dih-mahyz] / dɪˈmaɪz /

noun

• demises
  plural

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)

• demises,
  present (3rd person singular)
• demised,
  past participle,  past
• demising
  present participle

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)

• demises,
  present (3rd person singular)
• demised,
  past participle,  past
• demising
  present participle

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

demise British  

/ dɪˈmaɪz /

noun

1. failure or termination

   the demise of one's hopes

2. 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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• demisability
  noun
• nondemise
  noun
• demisable
  adjective
• undemised
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• demises
  plural

Participles

• demising
  present
• demised
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• demise
  simple
• demises
  simple
• have demised
  perfect
• has demised
  perfect
• am demising
  progressive
• are demising
  progressive
• is demising
  progressive
• have been demising
  perfect progressive
• has been demising
  perfect progressive

Past

• demised
  simple
• had demised
  perfect
• was demising
  progressive
• were demising
  progressive
• had been demising
  perfect progressive

Future

• will demise
  simple
• will have demised
  perfect
• will be demising
  progressive
• will have been demising
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of demise

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”; see dismiss

Explanation

Resort to the noun demise when you describe the end, termination, or death of something or someone. Demise is mostly used in medical or legal language, or when someone wants to sound either formal or euphemistic. The word entered English from French demettre which means "to dismiss," from the Latin word mittere, meaning "let go, send." And you might think, after reading this quote from E. Phillips Oppenheim, that demise sounds somewhat old-fashioned: "That my demise would have been a relief to you I can, of course, easily believe, but the means — they surely were not worthy of your ingenuity."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

demise demises demised demising

One of the earliest deaths came in 1926, when a 3-year-old wandered from his home on Narragansett Avenue and fell to his demise.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

"The important thing is not to let this be the beginning of the demise of international rule of law."

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Either you rallied behind Chud or you rooted for his demise; either way, he got paid.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday, Haiken’s business claims Polestar “declined” to make changes that U.S. authorities wanted, thus ensuring its own demise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Or would he have the irresistible urge to walk into the glowing red light, traveling toward his own demise?

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Along with the celebrities, the Loserbards also recounted the unusual demises of some otherwise unknown folks.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 27, 2022

By beginning this review with their demises, I haven’t planted a spoiler.

From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2021

If anything, the sentimentality of such demises lie not in the character’s fate but in an actor’s departure.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 11, 2021

Outside the nine-episode series, the carving game is a legitimate children’s game that’s played in South Korea – sans gory demises.

From Fox News ● Oct. 10, 2021

The effect caused by the first demises which took place in the ranks of the brethren was strange.

From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 03 by Charles F. (Charles Francis) Horne

Having spent the past 20 years in Mississippi, the couple will be remembered by friends and family for amassing a collection of nearly 1,000 announcements of the demised.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 8, 2018

Photograph: Rebecca Jewell/Ghosts of Gone Birds They are all, alas, bleeding demised, passed on, no more, ceased to be, bereft of life and resting in peace.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 24, 2011

Perhaps never was he so proud of them as last September, when "Rudy," their favorite fox terrier, unhappily demised.

From Time Magazine Archive

The manor had been let in fee farm to the monks of Cluny, who demised it to the Prior of Montacute, who in his turn let it to the Prior of Bermondsey.

From Villainage in England Essays in English Mediaeval History by Paul Vinogradoff

Coke says, "For such covenant which extends to the support of the thing demised is quodammodo appurtenant to it, and goes with it."

From The Common Law by Oliver Wendell Holmes

The bank infuriated unions last month when it described 3,166 job losses as "demising" roles.

From The Guardian ● May 28, 2013

Related Words

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