In software terminology, what does 'defunct' indicate?

• A. The software remains actively maintained.
• B. The software is open-source.
• C. The software is outdated but still supported.
• D. The software is no longer in use or supported.

Answer: (D)

Defunct in software means it’s no longer in use or supported. When something is defunct, active development has stopped, security updates and bug fixes aren’t provided, and official help from the developers or vendor is unavailable. The project may be archived or abandoned, and it’s not dependable for current use.

If software is actively maintained, updates and support continue, so it isn’t defunct. Open-source describes how the code is shared and licensed, not whether it’s still being worked on, so an open-source project can become defunct if no one maintains it. And if there’s ongoing support or updates, it isn’t accurate to label it defunct.