decesso

Decesso is an Italian noun that denotes death, the act of dying or the cessation of life. The term is chiefly employed in formal, institutional, or administrative contexts—such as medical reporting, civil registries, and obituary notices. In everyday speech, morte or morire are more commonly used.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin decessus, meaning departure or cessation, and entered Italian as decesso. The form reflects its sense of the moment when life ends, rather than the person who has died.

Usage and collateral terms: In Italian, the person who has died is referred to as defunto or deceduto; decesso refers to the event itself. The term appears in phrases like atto di morte (death certificate), certificato di decesso, and the statistical expression numero di decessi (number of deaths). It is considered formal and somewhat clinical, and is more common in legal or medical texts than in casual conversation.