Defunct
No longer existing or functioning; having ceased to operate or be in use.
adjectiveDefunct
No longer existing or functioning; having ceased to operate or be in use.
adjectiveImagine This
Imagine an old factory on a quiet street: rusted gears, a silent conveyor belt, and a faded sign that once read 'Open for business' now hanging crookedly. The place feels still, as if all of its machines and workers have vanished into memory.
Sounds Like
dee-FUNK-t
Looks Like
Looks like 'function' with the prefix de- and a sense of loss of function.
Remember This
Defunct describes things like organizations, systems, or devices that used to operate but no longer do. Do not use it for living people.
Other Forms
Connect With
obsolete, nonfunctional, inoperative, inactive, extinct
Note
Common pitfall: not interchangeable with 'defund' (to withdraw funding). Also avoid using it to describe a person; use terms like 'deceased' or 'dead' for people. More precise than 'inactive' when the thing has ceased to exist or function completely.