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

On June 22, 2025, Monica Jacinto Reza, a materials scientist at JPL, disappeared while on a hike near Mt.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

An American court can order their return, but as a practical matter, these human beings have essentially been disappeared.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

Several other items from Madonna's personal archive "from the same era" have also disappeared, she wrote.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

"The substantial amount of time that passed between her death and the discovery meant that crucial evidence had degraded or disappeared."

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

“Good night, Regan,” Elliot said with a grin, and he turned and disappeared into his dorm.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

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