obsolescence

American  

[ob-suh-les-uhns] / ˌɒb səˈlɛs əns /

noun

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

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obsolescence Cultural  

1. 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.)

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Etymology

Origin of obsolescence

First recorded in 1820–30; obsolesc(ent) + -ence

Explanation

Fashion trends come and go, and often return after a time. But gimmicky fads quickly fall into obsolescence, losing appeal and falling out of sight — do you know anyone who still has a pet rock? The word obsolescence is the noun form of the more common obsolete, meaning "something no longer used." Both words stem from the Latin obsolēscere, which means, logically enough, "to fall into disuse." Your phone or your car may be designed for obsolescence, meaning they are meant to stop working or go out of style so you'll buy a newer model. More amusingly, TV personality Art Linkletter once commented, "The four stages of man are infancy, childhood, adolescence, and obsolescence.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

obsolescence

Acme is essentially running our society, too, crushing consumers with shrinkflation, planned obsolescence and help lines staffed by AI bots.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

If these chips can delay obsolescence long enough for that to be true, the rate of innovation in AI computing must be a lot lower than I had thought.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

Reports of the book’s obsolescence were already exaggerated.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

The prospect of human obsolescence drew him into the fight, he said in videos recorded before he vanished.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

So will those who favor the modern trend to built-in obsolescence, for chemical control is self-perpetuating, needing frequent and costly repetition.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• annihilation
• destruction
• elimination