desuetude

American  

[des-wi-tood, -tyood] / ˈdɛs wɪˌtud, -ˌtjud /

noun

1. the state of being no longer used or practiced.

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desuetude British  

/ ˈdɛswɪtjuːd, dɪˈsjuːɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. formal the condition of not being in use or practice; disuse

   those ceremonies had fallen into desuetude

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Etymology

Origin of desuetude

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin dēsuētūdo, equivalent to dēsuē-, base of dēsuēscere “to become disaccustomed to, unlearn” ( dē- de- + suēscere “to become accustomed to”) + -tūdō -tude

Explanation

Use the noun desuetude to say that something is not active or not being used, like the desuetude of a neglected park, with its overgrown ballfields and broken playground equipment. There are two ways to correctly pronounce desuetude: "DES-wuh-tude" or "de-SUE-uh-tude." It comes from Latin: de- means "away, from" and suescere means "become accustomed." So if people or things are not used — out of custom — desuetude is the result, carrying with it a sense of neglect, disrepair, and inaction.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

desuetude

Certainly we must now be set on a path to mental decay and desuetude.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 28, 2023

That photograph, when seen on the gallery wall, potently conveys the quandary of a man, aging but still vigorous, who has been consigned to pampered desuetude in his Palm Desert retirement.

From New York Times ● Mar. 9, 2023

A very few people, not appearing to be up to much, sat far apart at desks in a dimly lighted panorama of desuetude.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 2, 2018

Meaning when you have a statute that hasn't been enforced in 215 years, there's a concept in the law called desuetude.

From Slate ● Dec. 4, 2017

Since the commencement of the present century, the custom of consigning to a dungeon the brothers and kindred of the reigning monarch has fallen into desuetude in Northern Abyssinia.

From The Highlands of Ethiopia by Harris, William Cornwallis