dated
Americanadjective
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having or showing a date.
a dated record of all meetings.
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out-of-date; old-fashioned.
a nostalgic program of dated songs.
- Synonyms:
- unfashionable, passé, outmoded
adjective
-
unfashionable; outmoded
dated clothes
-
(of a security) having a fixed date for redemption
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dated
Explanation
Something that's dated is very obviously old-fashioned or out of style. Your grandmother's expectation that you send her a written thank-you note whenever she gives you a gift might seem a little dated to you. Some people can wear thrift shop clothes from the 1980s and look stylish, while others just look dated. And while some movies are still funny even years after they're released, the jokes in others just seem dated. This word meaning "old-fashioned" has been around since the turn of the 20th century, from date, which means both "to mark with a date" and also "to mark as old-fashioned."
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.
Alongside a tiny, neat sketch of the fossil dated 9 December 1985 he has written "vertebra of large reptile", noting it was about 10cm wide.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
"Also the movie is saying sometimes it's better not to stay in the relationship," said Wilde, who has two children with her ex, actor Jason Sudeikis, and dated singer Harry Styles.
From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026
She was notified of the investigation via a letter dated April 2024.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026
The letter, dated June 10, was addressed to U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
While engaged in these diggings, he achieved his first archaeological triumph when he discovered a gold earring that dated back to King Midas’s time.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
