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departed - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

departed

  1. simple past and past participle of depart

departed (not comparable)

  1. Having gone away.
    relics from a departed era
  2. (euphemistic) Dead.

euphemistic: dead

departed (plural departeds)

  1. (euphemistic) Synonym of dead (those who have died).
    • 1589, George Puttenham, edited by Edward Arber, The Arte of English Poesie‎[1], published 1869, page 63:

      ... and our Theologians, in stead thereof vie to make sermons, both teaching the people some good learning, and also saying well of the departed.

Departed is most commonly used in a religious setting or at a funeral. Deceased is commonly used in legal and journalistic settings.

a dead person or persons