adjective
- no longer living; dead.
noun
- the deceased,
- the particular dead person or persons referred to.
- dead persons collectively: to speak well of the deceased.
noun
- the act of dying; departure from life; death.
verb (used without object), de·ceased, de·ceas·ing.
- to depart from life; die.
adjective
-
- a more formal word for dead (def. 1)
- (as noun)the deceased
noun
- a more formal word for death
verb
- (intr) a more formal word for die 1
late 15c., past participle adjective from decease (v.). As a verbal noun meaning “dead person, those who are dead,” from early 17c.
“to die,” early 15c., from decease (n.). Related: Deceased; deceasing
“death,” early 14c., from Old French deces (12c., Modern French décès) “decease, death,” from Latin decessus “death” (euphemism for mors), also “a retirement, a departure,” from decess-, past participle stem of decedere “die, depart, withdraw,” literally “to go down,” from de- “away” (see de-) + cedere “go” (see cede). Still used with a tinge of euphemism.