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If you know that de- often means "the opposite of", it's easy to guess the meaning of defunct. Shakespeare seems to have been the first writer to use this adjective, in Henry V. Defunct American political parties include the Greenback Party, the Readjuster Party, and the Nullifier Party. Defunct Academy Awards categories include Best Dance Direction and Best Assistant Director. Defunct U.S. auto models include the Dudly Bug, the LuLu, the Hupmobile, the Gas-au-lec, and the Nu-Klea Starlite. But to speak of a person as defunct would sound disrespectful—which is how it sounds in e. e. cummings's famous poem "Buffalo Bill's defunct".
Examples of defunct in a Sentence
Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2025
Cohen was first elected in 2018, after Crook had ended his relatively brief career as a lobbyist for the Coalition for Connecticut Sportsmen, a defunct organization that had been run by his father, Robert T. Crook.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2025
Trump also commuted the sentence of one year of probation imposed on Ozy Media for the defunct news and entertainment company’s conviction in the same case.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2025
Since then, Nicole has branched out into acting, having a series regular role on the sitcom Great News and a satirical lifestyle show on the defunct Quibi, Nikki Fre$h.
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defunct
Cite this Entry
“Defunct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defunct. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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defunct
adjective
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