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 apprehension that marked her 20s disappeared, replaced by a silent confidence molded from experience.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

When movement became too random, congestion disappeared but efficiency dropped due to excessive wandering.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

MacRae, 36, and Andrew disappeared on 12 November 1976.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Once the professional reason to gather disappeared, even genuine friendships couldn’t hold the group together.

From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026

Torak followed the trail as it hopped along between snowcovered juniper bushes, then broke into long, startled leaps and disappeared up a pine tree.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Related Words

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