Synonyms for

Defunct

Verb / dɪˈfʌŋkt / Another word for defunct — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

no longer existing or functioning

Synonyms & similar words

extinct obsolete nonexistent disused unused inactive inoperative invalid void broken closed dead finished gone lost outmoded past unavailable vanished withdrawn

Synonyms by register

Formal

obsolete discontinued nonfunctional

Informal

kaput out of order dead

Literary

bygone vanished extinct

Antonyms

active working operating functioning current alive existing

Common collocations

  • defunct company
  • defunct law
  • defunct system
  • defunct organization
  • defunct technology
  • defunct practice
  • defunct status

Word family

noun defunctness

Usage note

Primarily used to describe things that have ceased to function or exist, often with a sense of finality. It's generally more formal than 'broken' or 'out of order'.

Example sentences

  1. The defunct factory was demolished to make way for a new shopping mall.
  2. The defunct airline left thousands of passengers stranded.
  3. The defunct website is no longer accessible.
  4. The defunct car sat in the garage for years without being used.
  5. The defunct law was repealed by the government.

Quotes

  • 'The past is not dead, it is not even past.' - William Faulkner
  • 'The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.' - L.P. Hartley
  • 'Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.' - Lyndon B. Johnson

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