demise

UK: /dɪˈmaɪz/ US: /dɪˈmaɪz/ ,(di mīz′)

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

demises

v 3rd person singular

demising

v pres p

demised

v past

demised

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

de•mise /dɪˈmaɪz/   n. [count;
usually singular]

1. death:
   the demise of former great stars.
2. the ending of something, such as by failure or ruin;
   fall;
   collapse:
   the demise of the Roman Empire.

See -mis-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

de•mise  (di mīz′), n., v., -mised, -mis•ing. 
n. 

1. death or decease.
2. termination of existence or operation:
   the demise of the empire.
3. Law
   • a death or decease occasioning the transfer of an estate.
   • a conveyance or transfer of an estate.
4. Government transfer of sovereignty, as by the death or deposition of the sovereign.

v.t. 

5. Law to transfer (an estate or the like) for a limited time;
   lease.
6. Government to transfer (sovereignty), as by the death or abdication of the sovereign.

v.i. 

7. Law to pass by bequest, inheritance, or succession.

• Latin dīmissum (past participle of dīmittere); see demit¹, dismiss
• Old French demis (past participle of desmetre)
• late Middle English dimis(s)e, demise 1400–50

de•mis′a•bil′i•ty, n. 
de•mis′a•ble, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

demise / dɪˈmaɪz/ noun

1. failure or termination
2. a euphemistic or formal word for death
3. a transfer of an estate by lease
4. the passing or transfer of an estate on the death of the owner
5. the immediate transfer of sovereignty to a successor upon the death, abdication, etc, of a ruler (esp in the phrase demise of the crown)

verb

1. to transfer or be transferred by inheritance, will, or succession
2. (transitive) to transfer (an estate, etc) for a limited period; lease
3. (transitive) to transfer (sovereignty, a title, etc) by or as if by the death, deposition, etc, of a ruler

Etymology: 16th Century: from Old French, feminine of demis dismissed, from demettre to send away, from Latin dīmittere; see dismiss

deˈmisable adjective