Dictionary

defunct en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈfʌŋkt/ (UK, US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌdiˈfʌŋkt/ (US)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēfunctus, past participle of dēfungor (“to finish, discharge”).

Meanings

1. No longer in use or active, nor expected to be again.
   • [T]he engineer must solve the mysteries of boiler accidents by studying defunct structures of many different types. 1880 January 1, The Locomotive, volume 1, number 1, Hartford, Conn.: The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection And Insurance Company, page 9:
2. No longer in use or active, nor expected to be again. ▸ No longer in business or service, nor expected to be again; out of business.
3. Specifically, of a process: having terminated but not having been reaped (by its parent or an inheritor), and thus still occupying a process slot. See also zombie, zombie process.
4. (of a language) No longer spoken.
   • When a language dies members of the culture of which that language was once a part may attempt to hold on to their linguistic heritage, if not by the use of the defunct language itself, at least by the preservation of its script. 2007, J. N. Adams, “The Republic: inscriptions”, in The Regional Diversification of Latin 200 BC - AD 600, Cambridge University Press, page 105:
5. (archaic) Deceased, dead.
   • Morgante at a venture shot an arrow, / Which pierced a pig precisely in the ear, / And passed unto the other side quite through; / So that the boar, defunct, lay tripped up near. 1820 February (date written; published 30 July 1823), Luigi Pulci, “The Morgante Maggiore of Pulci”, in Lord Byron, transl., The Complete Poetical Works of Lord Byron […], New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, published November 1907, →OCLC, canto I, stanza LXIII, page 560, column 2:
   • The organs, though defunct and dead before, / Break up their drowsy grave and newly move 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

Forms

Deriveds

defunctness

Synonyms

extinct · idle · behind the times · outmoded · workless · Miss Havishamesque · fossilized · outdated · venerable · defunct · cobwebby · passé · Havishamesque · primitive · unemployed · elderly · elderly · outdated · out of fashion · venerable · archaic · antediluvial · expired · passé · outworn · old school · Miss Havishamesque · defunct · old · out of date · antique · antique · disused · outdated · backwards · antediluvian · old school · hoary · outmoded · antiquated · parachronistic · outworn · anachronistic · obsolete · extinct · anachronistic · discontinued · archaic · backward · hoary · discontinued · Havishamesque · unoccupied · disused · old-fashioned · old · primitive · desuete · dated · dootsie · oldfangled · backward · antiquated · disused · out of fashion · workless · fossilized · dated · old-fashioned · unoccupied · cobwebbed · dootsie · unemployed · antiquated · desuete · cobwebbed · parachronistic · mouldy · outdated · behind the times · cobwebby · superseded · idle · backwards · antediluvian · mouldy · superseded · antiquated · disused · antediluvial · expired · out of date · oldfangled · superannuated · superannuated · obsolete

Translations (39)

tr feshedilmiş (no longer in use) · it defunto (deceased) · no nedlagt (no longer in use) · tr kullanılmayan (no longer in use) · de gestorben (deceased) · gl defunto (deceased) · ro defunct (deceased) · tr ölü (no longer in use) · tr ölmüş (deceased) · nl overleden (deceased) · nl buiten gebruik (no longer in use) · ru усо́пший (deceased) · nl gestorven (deceased) · ru вы́мерший (deceased) · de erloschen (no longer in use) · sv avdöd (deceased) · pt defunto (deceased) · pl wymarły (deceased) · fr défunt (deceased) · es difunto (deceased) · no lagt ned (no longer in use) · ru уме́рший (deceased) · hu megszűnt (no longer in use) · nl buiten werking (no longer in use) · tr vefat eden (deceased) · bg покоен (deceased) · ru поко́йный (deceased) · tr ölen (deceased) · de nicht mehr existierend (no longer in use) · mi tūnguru (no longer in use) · de verstorben (deceased) · tr geçersiz (no longer in use) · ru неде́йствующий (no longer in use) · pt inativo (no longer in use) · ca difunt (deceased) · ru сконча́вшийся (deceased) · de gelöscht (no longer in use) · tr vefat etmiş (deceased) · de tot (no longer in use)

defunct en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈfʌŋkt/ (UK, US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌdiˈfʌŋkt/ (US)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēfunctus, past participle of dēfungor (“to finish, discharge”).

Meanings

1. The dead person (referred to).
   • A small tablet is fixt near the Altar, upon wᶜʰ the friends of yᵉ defunct lay their offerings in mony according to their own ability and the quality of the person deceased. 1687, John Aubrey, Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme, page 23:
   • […] he saw Robert Johnston, pannel, come out of the cott-house with the fork in his hand, and pass by Alexander Fall and the deponent; heard the pannell say, he had sticked the dog, and he would stick the whelps too; whereupon the pannell run after the defunct’s son with the fork in his hand, […] 1817 September, in Blackwood's Edinburgh magazine, volume 1, page 617

Relateds

function · bankrupt

Translations (7)

ru поко́йница (The dead person) · ru сконча́вшийся (The dead person) · ru поко́йный (The dead person) · ru уме́рший (The dead person) · bg покойник (The dead person) · ru поко́йник (The dead person) · ru усо́пший (The dead person)

defunct en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈfʌŋkt/ (UK, US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌdiˈfʌŋkt/ (US)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēfunctus, past participle of dēfungor (“to finish, discharge”).

Meanings

1. To make defunct.

Forms