defunct

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /dɪˈfʌŋkt/
  • (US) also IPA(key): /ˌdiˈfʌŋkt/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌŋkt

Adjective

defunct (comparative more defunct, superlative most defunct)

  1. No longer in use or active, nor expected to be again.
    Synonyms: antiquated, disused, outdated; see also Thesaurus:obsolete
    • 1880 January 1, The Locomotive, volume 1, number 1, Hartford, Conn.: The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection And Insurance Company, page 9:
      [T]he engineer must solve the mysteries of boiler accidents by studying defunct structures of many different types.
    1. (business) No longer in business or service, nor expected to be again; out of business.
  2. (computing) 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.
  3. (linguistics) Of a language, no longer spoken.
    • 2007, J. N. Adams, “The Republic: inscriptions”, in The Regional Diversification of Latin 200 BC - AD 600, Cambridge University Press, page 105:
      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.
  4. (now rare) Deceased, dead.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

defunct (third-person singular simple present defuncts, present participle defuncting, simple past and past participle defuncted)

  1. (transitive) To render (something) defunct.

Noun

defunct (usually uncountable, plural defuncts)

  1. The deceased person (referred to).
    • 1687, John Aubrey, Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme, page 23:
      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.
    • 1817 September, in Blackwood's Edinburgh magazine, volume 1, page 617:
      […] 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, […]

Translations

Romanian

Etymology

    Borrowed from French défunt.

    Noun

    defunct m (plural defuncți, feminine equivalent defunctă)

    1. deceased

    Declension

    singular plural
    indefinite definite indefinite definite
    nominative-accusative defunct defunctul defuncți defuncții
    genitive-dative defunct defunctului defuncți defuncților
    vocative defunctule defuncților
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