Added 5 October 2026
defunct
/dɪˈfʌŋkt/ adjective
Latin root: dēfunctus Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about defunct at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- No longer in use or active, nor expected to be again.
- No longer in business or service, nor expected to be again; out of business.
- Specifically, of a process: having terminated but not having been reaped (by its parent or an inheritor), and thus still occupying a process slot. See also zombie, zombie process.
verb
- To make defunct.
noun
Origin
Borrowed from Latin dēfunctus, past participle of dēfungor (“to finish, discharge”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)