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definitions

obsolescence

[ ob-suh-les-uh ns ]
/ ˌɒb səˈlɛs əns /
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noun

the state, process, or condition of being or becoming obsolete.

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RELATED WORDS

annihilation, elimination, destruction, discontinuance, desuetude, obsoleteness, death

Nearby words

  1. obsidian,
  2. obsidian dating,
  3. obsidional coin,
  4. obsolesc.,
  5. obsolesce,
  6. obsolescent,
  7. obsolete,
  8. obstacle,
  9. obstacle course,
  10. obstacle race

Origin of obsolescence

First recorded in 1820–30; obsolesc(ent) + -ence
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for obsolescence

Word Origin and History for obsolescence

obsolescence

n.

1809; see obsolescent + -ence. Phrase Planned obsolescence coined 1932, revived as a disparaging term 1950s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Culture definitions for obsolescence

obsolescence

[ (ob-suh-les-uhns) ]

A decline in the value of equipment or of a product brought about by an introduction of new technology or by changes in demand. (See planned obsolescence.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.