obsolescence
Americannoun
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.”
Vocabulary lists containing obsolescence
Power Suffix: -escence
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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.
Polished after-hours programs with a live audience, large teams of writers and producers and high-priced hosts are fighting off obsolescence as traditional TV audiences get smaller and ad revenues shrink.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
“My own view is that AI will indeed be revolutionary, but many of the claims around imminent mass job losses and widespread software obsolescence were overstated,” Reid wrote.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026
But a funny thing—socioculturally—happened on Mazda’s way to obsolescence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
Investors are shifting to “HALO” firms, valuing heavy assets and low obsolescence over software due to AI threats like ChatGPT.
From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026
There are pyramids of imported chocolates, an ice cream counter, aisles and aisles of fancy cookies and canned gourmet food, ticking away like little clocks toward the obsolescence dates stamped on their packages.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
