Defunct

Defunct is an adjective describing something that no longer exists or operates. It is commonly used for organizations, businesses, publications, machines, or other entities that have ceased to function or to be in existence. A defunct company is one that has ceased operations and may have been dissolved, liquidated, or struck off a register; a defunct technology refers to hardware or software that is no longer supported or in production.

The term originates from Latin defunctus, the past participle of defungi, meaning to perform, discharge, or finish, with the sense of being finished or dead. It entered English in the early modern period.

Defunct emphasizes cessation rather than temporary inactivity. It differs from dormant or inactive, which may indicate a temporary pause while the legal status remains in force. In historical or encyclopedic writing, labeling a firm or institution as defunct signals that it no longer operates in any capacity.

Examples include a defunct airline that ceased services after bankruptcy, a defunct magazine no longer published, or a defunct website that has not posted content for years.

See also: extinct, obsolete, dissolved, terminated.