deceased
n. countablen. a person who has died. You usually hear this word in serious situations, like when a lawyer or a doctor is talking.
n. a person who has died, particularly in a legal or formal context. Often used with the definite article to refer to a specific individual whose estate or remains are under discussion.
The lawyer read the will of the deceased.
The property was divided among the children of the deceased according to the instructions left in the will.
Legal proceedings were delayed while the court sought to identify any surviving relatives of the deceased who might have a legitimate claim to the estate.
From decease + -ed, from Middle English deceas via Old French [Term?], from Latin dēcessus (“departure”), equivalent to dēced-, variation of dēcēdō, dēcēdere (“to go away”).
Usually functions as a collective noun ('the deceased') to refer to one or more dead people; it is formal and avoids the emotional weight of 'the dead'.
the deceasedsthe deceasedWhen used as a noun, 'deceased' is usually pluralized by the definite article ('the deceased') and does not take an 's' even when referring to multiple people.