decedent
noun
de·ce·dent
di-ˈsē-dᵊnt 
law
: a person who is no longer living : a deceased person
the estate of the decedent
Examples of decedent in a Sentence
a tax on the estate of the decedent
Recent Examples on the Web
The Sheriff's Office did not identify the decedents, but the deceased mom and son were identified by the county medical examiner.
—
Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
The decedents ranged in age from 60 to 84 years old, according to a release from the coroner's office.
—Helen Graham, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
The sheriff's office believes the decedent is the man who was reported to be inside the building, but has not publicly identified him.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Reports from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner previously confirmed that the Reiners' official causes of death were multiple sharp force injuries, with the manner of death listed as homicide for both decedents.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decedent
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
The decedents ranged in age from 60 to 84 years old, according to a release from the coroner's office.
—Helen Graham, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
The sheriff's office believes the decedent is the man who was reported to be inside the building, but has not publicly identified him.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Reports from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner previously confirmed that the Reiners' official causes of death were multiple sharp force injuries, with the manner of death listed as homicide for both decedents.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decedent
Cite this Entry
“Decedent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decedent. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decedent
noun
de·ce·dent
di-ˈsēd-ᵊnt
: a deceased person
—used chiefly in law
Medical Definition
decedent
noun
de·ce·dent
di-ˈsēd-ᵊnt
: a deceased person
—used chiefly in law
Legal Definition
decedent
noun
de·ce·dent
di-ˈsēd-ᵊnt
: a deceased person
the estate of the decedent
Etymology
Latin decedent-, decedens, present participle of decedere to depart, die
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
