ENGLISH
REFERENCE

disappeared

v. · adj. · n.
US //ˌdɪsəˈpiɹd// UK //dˌɪsɐpˈiəd// dis·ap·peared
  1. 1 went away (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to have gone somewhere where you cannot be seen or found.

    the past tense of the intransitive verb 'disappear', indicating a cessation of visibility or presence.

    Example

    The cat disappeared into the bushes as soon as it saw the dog.

    Example

    The small boat disappeared from the radar screen during the height of the storm, causing immediate concern among the coast guard crew.
    Pitfall
    The sun was disappeared behind the clouds.
    The sun disappeared behind the clouds.

    The verb 'disappear' is intransitive and does not take a passive form when describing natural events.

  2. 2 taken by force (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Law

    describes a person who was taken away and hidden by the police or military for political reasons.

    referring to a person who has been a victim of forced disappearance, typically by state actors for political suppression.

    Example

    The families of the disappeared people are still looking for the truth.

    Example

    Human rights organisations continue to advocate for the families of the disappeared prisoners, demanding a full investigation into the events of the previous decade.

    Usage

    Often used in the context of human rights reports or political history.
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  1. 3 a missing person (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal Technical Law

    a person who has been taken away and hidden for political reasons.

    a person who has been subjected to forced disappearance; a translation of the Spanish term 'desaparecido'.

    Example

    The monument was built to remember the disappeared from the civil war.

    Example

    The legal framework was specifically designed to address the status of the disappeared and provide closure for their surviving relatives.

    Usage

    Usually appears as 'the disappeared' to refer to a group of people.

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