Etymologically
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deceased

Etymology and origin of the English word deceased

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1489
Ultimate origin
English (decease)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /diˈsist/, /dɪˈsist/; /dɪˈsiːst/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

It is the past participle of the verb decease, used as an adjective.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Dead, departed from life: the mid-15th century in Etymonline,[2] about 1489 in the OED.[4]

Semantic evolution

As a noun, the dead person in question (the deceased), it is from the early 17th century, 1625 in the OED.[2][4] Collins calls it a more formal word for dead.[5]

Timeline

  • mid-15th century – dead.[2]
  • 1625 – the deceased (noun).[4]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. (formal) Dead; no longer living.

Noun

  1. the deceased: a person who has recently died.

Word family

  • undeceased

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Deceased.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/deceased. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·