Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective defunct contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of defunct are dead, deceased, departed, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

When is dead a more appropriate choice than defunct?

The meanings of dead and defunct largely overlap; however, dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

How does the word deceased relate to other synonyms for defunct?

Deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. Deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

When might departed be a better fit than defunct?

The words departed and defunct are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When would late be a good substitute for defunct?

While in some cases nearly identical to defunct, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defunct His office also checks for defunct street lights weekly and reports them to the city and San Diego Gas & Electric for replacement, and plans to plant dozens of trees around transit corridors in his district after securing grant funding. Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025 Both the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency, each teaming up with private companies, have already demonstrated missions that targeted defunct satellites and discarded rocket bodies. Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 12 Apr. 2025 In the 1930s, the first female president of the now defunct department store Bonwit Teller, Hortense Odlum, decided to elevate the shopping experience with an extensive exhibition of Art Deco furniture. Air Mail, 12 Apr. 2025 In Brazil, Cuban doctors in the defunct Mais Medicos program were paid less than a third of what was paid to doctors of other nationalities in the same program, according to documents obtained by the Brazilian press. Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for defunct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defunct
Adjective
  • Researchers believe there may have been a land bridge between the Caribbean and Central America that would have allowed the ants to move from the mainland to the islands, but eventually, the species went extinct.
    Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Long assumed to be extinct in the Golden State, a lone gray wolf crossed over the border from Oregon in 2011, and by 2015, a pack was identified in Northern California’s Siskiyou County, researchers noted.
    Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • At least 148 people were found dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a motorized wooden boat caught fire and capsized, media reports citing local officials said on Friday.
    FOXNews.com, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • That being said, the dream of NXT Europe isn't dead.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Cybercriminals often exploit expired domains to impersonate brands or launch malicious campaigns.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • When demand eases like this, homes stay on the market longer and frustrated sellers end up with expired or withdrawn listings as a result.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • She was pronounced deceased at the scene of the collision.
    Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025
  • All of the plane's occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene, according to the Illinois State Police.
    Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • So many firsts, gone, charred to ash, just remnants of an area that once represented Black prosperity and joy.
    Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
  • The original pioneers were mostly busy making non-hyperpop or gone: SOPHIE tragically died in 2021; 100 gecs spent years toiling to make their zany stadium-rock second album.
    Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 3 Oct. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Defunct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defunct. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.

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