different between decedent vs deceased

English

Etymology

From Latin decedens, present active participle of decedere (“to depart, die”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??si?d?nt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /d??si.d?nt/

Noun

decedent (plural decedents)

1. (law, chiefly US) A dead person.

Translations

Adjective

decedent (not comparable)

1. Removing; departing.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Ash to this entry?)

See also

• deceased

Latin

Verb

d?c?dent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of d?c?d?

English

Etymology

From decease +? -ed, from Middle English deceas via Old French [Term?], from Latin d?cessus (“departure”), equivalent to d?ced-, variation of d?c?d?, d?c?dere (“to go away”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??si?st/
• (US) enPR: d?-s?st' IPA^(key): /di?sist/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /di?sist/, /di?sizd/, /d??sizd/
• (Nigeria) IPA^(key): /d??zizd/
• Homophone: diseased (Nigeria)
• Rhymes: -i?st

Adjective

deceased (not comparable)

1. No longer alive; dead.
   • Monty Python

2. Belonging to the dead.

3. (law) One who has died. In property law, the alternate term decedent is generally used. In criminal law, “the deceased” refers to the victim of a homicide.

Usage notes

• Not to be confused with diseased (affected with or suffering from disease).

Synonyms

• (no longer alive): asleep (euphemistic), at peace (euphemistic), at rest (euphemistic), dead, departed (euphemistic), late, gone (euphemistic)

Translations

Noun

deceased (plural deceased or deceaseds)

1. A dead person.

   The deceased was interred in his local churchyard.

   a memorial to the deceased of two World Wars

2. (law) One who has died. In property law, the alternate term decedent is generally used in US English. In criminal law, “the deceased” refers to the victim of a homicide.

Usage notes

Deceased or decedent is commonly used in legal and journalistic settings. Departed is most commonly used in religious settings.

Synonyms

• (dead person): decedent, departed, late
• (plural: dead people): decedents, departed

Translations