Deceased means dead. It's a formal, respectful word used especially in legal documents, obituaries, and serious conversations about someone who has died. A lawyer might refer to “the deceased person's will,” or a news article might mention “the deceased's family.”

People use this word instead of simply saying “dead” when they want to show respect or maintain a professional tone. You might hear it at a funeral home, in a courtroom, or when someone is speaking carefully about a sensitive topic. It sounds more dignified than saying someone is “dead,” though both words mean the same thing.

When someone says their deceased grandfather left them a pocket watch, they're honoring his memory while explaining that he has passed away.

Notice that deceased works both as an adjective (describing someone: “the deceased woman”) and as a noun (referring to someone: “the deceased person was a teacher”). You'll rarely hear it in casual conversation, but it appears often in formal writing about death, inheritance, and remembrance.