deceased
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Synonym Usage
See dead.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deceased
Explanation
When someone is deceased, they are dead — not dying or even just about to die. They are dead. The word deceased has been around since the 15th century, however, when people talk of someone's having died, they rarely use deceased in conversation. For example, if you ask someone how their dog is and their dog is recently deceased, they'll most likely use a less technical phrase such as "no longer with us," or "passed away." The word deceased is more formal, and most often used in the documentation of death or in legal situations, as in "we are here to read the will of the deceased."
Vocabulary lists containing deceased
Salt to the Sea
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"Superman and Me" and "A Smart Cookie/It's Our Story, Too"
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The War I Finally Won
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Were they made earlier and kept until the moment of death? Were they painted at the time the deceased was buried? Were they panels that were hung in homes, in residences?" he asked.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
Instead, they may have deliberately chosen a particular location and returned to it repeatedly to lay deceased members of their community to rest.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
The new analysis is the first comprehensive effort by scientists to understand the prevalence of CTE among deceased former NFL players, according to the study.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
In 2022 Nicola Sturgeon, then Scotland’s first minister, delivered a formal apology on behalf of the government to the deceased.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
All of his sons, with the exception of myself, are now deceased, and each was my senior not only in age but in status.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
