disappeared

American  

[dis-uh-peerd] / ˌdɪs əˈpɪərd /

adjective

1. having vanished from sight or existence.

   Right this minute, the only thing I want to do is to find a way to recover my disappeared phone photos.

   The museum displays tools and artifacts from an almost disappeared culture, known only from one archaeological site.

2. (of a person) having vanished under suspicious or unknown circumstances.

   Family members of the disappeared persons were denied the right to any effective remedy, including the right to know the fate of their loved ones.

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noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. none the disappeared people, especially political opponents, who have vanished under suspicious or unknown circumstances, or without due process of law.

   The determination of the parents, grandparents, and—most recently—children of the disappeared is finally putting dictators, torturers, and their accomplices behind bars.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of disappear.

Etymology

Origin of disappeared

First recorded in 1400–50 as a verb: disappear ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ), and in 1640–50 as an adjective: disappear ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

The mysterious Iberian lynx almost disappeared from the face of the Earth.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

And the coalition that swept him back into office — including a surge in support from Latino, independent and young voters — has effectively disappeared.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

There's the leather flight suit of Amelia Earhart, who was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic but disappeared over the Pacific in 1937 as she attempted to fly around the world.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

Freeman then disappeared into dense bushland, sparking one of Australia's largest ever manhunts.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

SJ gave Kathy a reassuring pat on the shoulder, held her hand there momentarily, and then disappeared into the drive-in.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• absent
• adrift
• disoriented
• hidden
• invisible
• misplaced
• vanished