defunct etymology

Etymology

The word "defunct" comes from the Latin verb "defungor," which means "to perform a duty" or "to finish." It is formed from the prefix "de-" (meaning "off, away, down") and the verb "fungor" (meaning "to perform").

Meaning

The term "defunct" is used to describe something that is no longer in existence, use, or operation. It is synonymous with words like "dead," "ceased," "terminated," and "extinct."

Origin

The word "defunct" was first used in English in the early 16th century. It was initially employed in legal and religious contexts to refer to people who had died or to things that had come to an end. Over time, its usage expanded to encompass a broader range of entities, including businesses, organizations, institutions, and ideas.

Examples

• The defunct company had once been a major player in the industry.
• The defunct newspaper was known for its incisive reporting.
• The defunct theory has since been disproven.
• The defunct organization had been instrumental in social change.

Usage

The adjective "defunct" is typically used in a derogatory sense, implying that something is no longer relevant or valuable. However, it can also be used in a more neutral or even respectful manner to describe something that has simply run its course or reached its end.

defunct relate terms

• function

  Etymology is the study of the history of words including their origins forms and meanin

• brook

  Etymology Middle English broke brook Old English brōc Proto West Germanic brōk

• defunct

  Etymology The word defunct comes from the Latin verb defungor which means to perfor

• fructify

  Etymology The word fructify comes from the Latin word fructus meaning fruit and t

• fructose

  Etymology The word fructose is derived from the Latin word fructus meaning fruit

• frugal

  Etymology Frugal comes from the Latin word frugi which means useful productive

• fruit

  Etymology The word fruit is derived from the Latin word fructus meaning the produce

• fruitcake

  Etymology fruit n from Middle English fruit from Anglo French fruit from Vulgar

• fruitful

  Etymology Origin Latin fructuosus fruitful productive Meaning bearing or yieldin

• fruition

  Etymology fruition n late 15c from Latin fructus fruit from fruor enjoy Mean

• fruitless

  Etymology The word fruitless is derived from the Middle English word fruteles which

• frumentaceous

  Etymology Latin frumentum grain corn aceous suffix indicating pertaining to

• function

  Etymology is the study of the history of words including their origins forms and meanin

• fungible

  Etymology Latin fungibilis from fungi to perform Meaning Fungible refers to s

• perfunctory

  Etymology The word perfunctory originates from the Latin phrase per functus which m

• tutti frutti

  Etymology Italian tuttifrutti meaning all fruits Meaning A mixture of candied

• usufruct

  Etymology The word usufruct comes from the Latin phrase usus fructus which means u

• brunch

  Etymology Brunch is a portmanteau word combining breakfast and lunch Meaning

• convent

  Etymology The word convent comes from the Latin word conventus which means an asse

• mortuary

  Etymology The word mortuary comes from the Latin word mortuarius which means pertai

• thalamus

  Etymology The term thalamus comes from the Ancient Greek word θάλαμος thalamos

• insight

  Etymology The word insight is derived from the Middle English word insigt which its

• period

  Etymology The word period comes from the Middle English word periode which itself

• mess

  Etymology The word mess comes from the Middle English word messe which in turn come

• mitigate

  Etymology The word mitigate comes from the Latin word mitigare which means to make

• disdain

  Etymology The word disdain comes from the Old French word desdaignier meaning to