outdated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Origin of outdated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Anything that's so old-fashioned that it's unstylish or not useful is outdated. You might love the way an antique car looks, but its outdated safety standards (no seat belts or airbags) make it dangerous to drive on the highway. The 70s bell-bottom jeans your aunt still wears might be embarrassingly outdated, but at least they function as pants. Your outdated computer, on the other hand, isn't even capable of getting online or connecting to your printer — in other words, it's obsolete, or completely useless.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Vocabulary lists containing outdated
"Notable Southerners: Althea Gibson"
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 5)
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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.
Outdated infrastructure has created massive distortions in the energy market.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025
Outdated rules need updating to match the dynamics of today’s markets.
From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025
Outdated software, aging infrastructure and other weaknesses leave California’s critical water supply vulnerable to cyberattacks and other threats.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2023
Outdated IT systems are damaging the work of the government department in charge of protecting the environment and supporting farmers, MPs say.
From BBC • May 12, 2023
Outdated technology forces legions of IRS workers to enter taxpayer data by hand into computer systems; the agency earlier in March obtained new programs that can scan paper tax returns and input data automatically.
From Washington Post • Apr. 1, 2023
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.
