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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
Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice, 5 Feb. 2026
The museum is located on a defunct Air Force base in the Upper Peninsula and Verwey's aim is to preserve its legacy.
—Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Along with technical and camera crew, Rockrohr relied on information from the Park Forest Historical Society, including stories from the now defunct Park Forest Star to underline events.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
The now-defunct Grand Berry Theater near Montgomery Plaza was still open at the time, but had a much smaller space compared to the Isis.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defunct
Cite this Entry
“Defunct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defunct. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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defunct
adjective
