Thesaurus results for DEFUNCT

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

defunct

adjective

di-ˈfəŋkt

Definition of defunct next

as in extinct

no longer existing a stack of brochures and a few faded placards are all that remain of the defunct organization

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fallen

no longer living a defunct species that we know only through fossil remains

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Caryn Marjorie, a 26-year-old lifestyle influencer, signed a deal in 2023 with a now defunct startup called Forever Voices to develop a digital clone of herself that fans could talk to. —

Taylor Lorenz, Vanity Fair, 15 Apr. 2026 The Chicago Stars Football Club, formerly called the Chicago Red Stars, was a founding member of the now-defunct Women’s Professional Soccer League, and has played in the National Women’s Soccer League since 2013. —

Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026 The brand stayed defunct until it was purchased by Diego Della Valle and brought back to market in the 2010s. —

Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 15 Apr. 2026 Allegations span nearly a decade Jennifer Millsap attended culinary school with Barnum-Dann from 2009 to 2011 at the now-defunct Art Institute in Sacramento. —

Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defunct

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defunct

Adjective

Put another way, the physicist believes that in a little more than three decades, there is a 50 percent chance that our species will be extinct.

— Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 19 Apr. 2026
The northern white rhino is also extinct in the wild.

— Heather Abbott, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026