defunct
UK[dɪˈfʌŋkt]US[dɪˈfʌŋkt]
adj
No longer existing, living, or functioning.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
funct
de
completely
funct
performed
Etymology
The word "defunct" has a direct lineage from Latin. It originates from the past participle defunctus of the verb defungi, which means "to finish, discharge, or perform." Defungi itself is composed of the intensive prefix de- and the verb fungi (to perform). The literal sense is "having completely performed or finished one's duties." This meaning evolved in English from the 16th century to describe someone who has died, having finished the duties of life. By extension, it now broadly applies to anything that has ceased to exist or operate, such as organizations, laws, or customs, carrying the sense of being finished or discharged from function.
Analysis
Structure: de (completely) + funct (performed)
- de: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "completely, thoroughly, away, off."
- funct: From Latin functus, the past participle of fungi meaning "to perform, execute, discharge."
Examples
The company's defunct website is no longer accessible.
Several defunct laws from the previous century were finally removed from the legal code.
The theory, once popular, is now considered defunct by modern scientists.