obsolete

American  

[ob-suh-leet, ob-suh-leet] / ˌɒb səˈlit, ˈɒb səˌlit /

adjective

1. no longer in general use; fallen into disuse.

   an obsolete expression.

   Antonyms:

   modern, new

2. of a discarded or outmoded type; out of date.

   an obsolete battleship.

   Synonyms:

   old, ancient, antiquated

   Antonyms:

   modern, new

3. (of a linguistic form) no longer in use, especially, out of use for at least the past century.

4. effaced by wearing down or away.

5. Biology. imperfectly developed or rudimentary in comparison with the corresponding character in other individuals, as of a different sex or of a related species.

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verb (used with object)

obsoleted, obsoleting

1. to make obsolete by replacing with something newer or better; antiquate.

   Automation has obsoleted many factory workers.

obsolete British  

/ ˌɒbsəˈliːt, ˈɒbsəˌliːt /

adjective

1. out of use or practice; not current

2. out of date; unfashionable or outmoded

3. biology (of parts, organs, etc) vestigial; rudimentary

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Usage

Terms and definitions labeled Obsolete in this dictionary have not been in widespread use since the mid 1700s. Unlike some relatively familiar archaic words and phrases, like prithee and thou art, obsolete words and phrases are not easily understood by a modern reader, and obsolete senses of current terms, as found in definitions 13, 14, and 15 of nice, are even more difficult for a contemporary reader to recognize.

The word obsoleteness is hardly ever used, obsolescence standing as the noun form for both obsolete and obsolescent

Other Word Forms

• nonobsolete adjective
• obsoletely adverb
• obsoleteness noun
• subobsolete adjective
• subobsoletely adverb
• subobsoleteness noun
• unobsolete adjective

Etymology

Origin of obsolete

First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin obsolētus, past participle of obsolēscere “to fall into disuse,” perhaps equivalent to ob- ob- + sol(ēre) “to be accustomed to” + -ēscere -esce

Explanation

Use the adjective obsolete for something that is out of date. As the Rolling Stones song "Out of Time" goes, "You're obsolete, my baby, my poor old-fashioned baby." Obsolete is from the Latin obsolescere "to fall into disuse," and it is a very handy adjective for anything that is no longer used, from words to factories to computer software to ways of thinking. Something that is obsolete has usually been displaced by a newer, shinier innovation. Compact discs made records and cassettes obsolete, and then downloadable digital music files made compact discs obsolete.

Example Sentences

He said Rough & Tumble will end the day he does — or sooner, if artificial intelligence renders Kavanagh and his role as host, news-gatherer and California guide obsolete.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

“Rather than making cybersecurity obsolete, this wave of AI threats will force enterprises to aggressively expand their defenses, creating unavoidable tailwinds for security adoption.”

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Shares of software companies fell sharply on Tuesday after a release from a major artificial-intelligence player revived investor fears that some of those companies’ business models could become obsolete.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026

When gunpowder arrived and the emerging nation-states rendered obsolete the old art of war dominated by feudal lords entrenched in their castles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

It was obsolete by then, you couldn’t buy anything with it.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• antiquated
• archaic
• out-of-date
• outmoded