decease

UK: /dɪˈsiːs/ US: /dɪˈsis/ ,(di sēs′)

Inflections of 'decease' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

deceases

v 3rd person singular

deceasing

v pres p

deceased

v past

deceased

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

de•cease /dɪˈsis/   n. [count;
usually singular]

1. the act of dying;
   death:
   at his decease.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

de•cease  (di sēs′), n., v., -ceased, -ceas•ing. 
n. 

1. the act of dying;
   departure from life;
   death.

v.i. 

2. to depart from life;
   die.

• Latin dēcessus departure, death, equivalent. to dēced-, variant stem of dēcēdere to go away (dē- de- + cēdere to go; see cede) + -tus suffix of verb, verbal action, with dt s; (verb, verbal) late Middle English decesen, derivative of the noun, nominal
• Old French
• (noun, nominal) Middle English deces 1300–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

decease / dɪˈsiːs/ noun

1. a more formal word for death

verb

1. (intransitive)
   a more formal word for die1

Etymology: 14th Century (n): from Old French deces, from Latin dēcēdere to depart