A prefix placed before a person's name to indicate that they are deceased (e.g., 'the late Yamada Tarō'); commonly used in obituaries and formal notices.
訃報には故佐藤健一氏の名前が記されていた。
The obituary listed the name of the late Kenichi Satō.
会場には故人をしのぶために花が供えられた。
Flowers were offered at the venue to remember the deceased.
公的文書では、名前の前に『故』を付けて表記することがある。
In official documents, a name is sometimes prefixed with 'the late' (故) for notation.