outdated
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of outdated
Explanation
Anything that's so old-fashioned that it's unstylish or not useful is outdated. You might love the way an antique car looks, but its outdated safety standards (no seat belts or airbags) make it dangerous to drive on the highway. The 70s bell-bottom jeans your aunt still wears might be embarrassingly outdated, but at least they function as pants. Your outdated computer, on the other hand, isn't even capable of getting online or connecting to your printer — in other words, it's obsolete, or completely useless. This adjective dates from the early 1600s, from the "mark as old fashioned" meaning of the verb date.
Vocabulary lists containing outdated
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Notable Southerners: Althea Gibson"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 5)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Known for its flame-grilled beef, Burger King has struggled for years with outdated restaurants and menu mistakes, like a hand-breaded chicken sandwich that was hard to make.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Some of the U.S. intelligence fed to the system was outdated, not accounting for the presence of the school.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
I don’t have much time for the Count Binfaces of this world, not because they’re weird, but because their particular kind of oddity has an outdated, cringe-inducing, dad-joke mustiness to it.
From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2026
It added many of the extra costs pushing up prices have come from higher National Insurance contributions, increased packaging taxes and failing to reform "outdated" business rates.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
His smelly old swallowtail coat was hopelessly outdated by then, but he wouldn’t hear of parting with it.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
