deceased
Adjective[C/U] Both
This term carries a heavy weight of formality and clinical detachment. It is the preferred language of legal documents, medical reports, and funeral directors to maintain a professional distance from the emotional trauma of death. Using it in a casual conversation can sound stiff, cold, or overly bureaucratic.
Countable when referring to a specific person who has died (the deceased). Uncountable when used as a descriptive adjective for a state of being.