How to Use the departed in a Sentence
the departed
noun-
Vermeer, in short, grew up in a world where the living consumed the departed.
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Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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That’s where Chávez’s Ariana came into the mix, as the wife of one of the departed.
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Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Nov. 2025
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And since all the food and drink can’t literally be enjoyed by the departed, the living happily parktake.
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Sarah Buder,
AFAR Media,
8 Oct. 2025
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The rhythmic music is intended to accompany the departed on their journey to the world of the ancestors.
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Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
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Olson recalled one family requesting that the departed, a creamery owner, be deposited in an ice cream carton.
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Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
25 Aug. 2025
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Most recite the mourner’s prayer on the date of the child’s burial as well as on Yizkor, the special memorial prayer for the departed recited in the synagogue four times a year.
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Stewart Ain,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
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The centuries-old holiday, rooted in Indigenous customs, welcomes the souls of the departed back to the world of the living through offerings of food, music, and art.
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Holly Alvarado,
Oc Register,
24 Oct. 2025
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And the Mass, in its very Catholic nature, is really focused on … repose for the departed, to bring their souls from purgatory to heaven in the afterlife.
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Rod Stafford Hagwood,
Sun Sentinel,
29 May 2026
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Judaism approaches these moments with deep sensitivity, offering guidance not to judge or criticize, but to bring dignity, comfort, and peace—to the soul of the departed and to those left behind.
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Rabbi Moishe Kievman,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
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The offerings are often arranged on altars, or in the case of the cemetery, on grave markers, which are traditionally decorated with bright orange marigolds, symbolizing the beauty and fragility of life, as well as photos, memorabilia and favorite foods and drinks of the departed.
—
Regina Elling,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Nov. 2025
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the departed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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