planned obsolescence

noun

1. a method of stimulating consumer demand by designing products that wear out or become outmoded after limited use.

planned obsolescence

noun

1. Also called: built-in obsolescence. the policy of deliberately limiting the life of a product in order to encourage the purchaser to replace it

planned obsolescence

1. Incorporating into a product features that will almost certainly go out of favor in a short time, thereby inducing the consumer to purchase a new model of the product. Placing sweeping tail fins on an automobile was an example of planned obsolescence.

Word History and Origins

Origin of planned obsolescence¹

First recorded in 1965–70