obsolete
Americanadjective
-
no longer in general use; fallen into disuse.
an obsolete expression.
-
of a discarded or outmoded type; out of date.
an obsolete battleship.
- Synonyms:
- old, ancient, antiquated
-
(of a linguistic form) no longer in use, especially, out of use for at least the past century.
-
effaced by wearing down or away.
-
Biology. imperfectly developed or rudimentary in comparison with the corresponding character in other individuals, as of a different sex or of a related species.
verb (used with object)
adjective
-
out of use or practice; not current
-
out of date; unfashionable or outmoded
-
biology (of parts, organs, etc) vestigial; rudimentary
Usage
Terms and definitions labeled Obsolete in this dictionary have not been in widespread use since the mid 1700s. Unlike some relatively familiar archaic words and phrases, like prithee and thou art, obsolete words and phrases are not easily understood by a modern reader, and obsolete senses of current terms, as found in definitions 13, 14, and 15 of nice, are even more difficult for a contemporary reader to recognize.
The word obsoleteness is hardly ever used, obsolescence standing as the noun form for both obsolete and obsolescent
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of obsolete
First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin obsolētus, past participle of obsolēscere “to fall into disuse,” perhaps equivalent to ob- ob- + sol(ēre) “to be accustomed to” + -ēscere -esce
Explanation
Use the adjective obsolete for something that is out of date. As the Rolling Stones song "Out of Time" goes, "You're obsolete, my baby, my poor old-fashioned baby." Obsolete is from the Latin obsolescere "to fall into disuse," and it is a very handy adjective for anything that is no longer used, from words to factories to computer software to ways of thinking. Something that is obsolete has usually been displaced by a newer, shinier innovation. Compact discs made records and cassettes obsolete, and then downloadable digital music files made compact discs obsolete.
Vocabulary lists containing obsolete
The Giver
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 6
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
As AI threatens to make the billable hour obsolete, professional-services firms wrestle with reinventing how they charge clients.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 27, 2026
The threat of artificial intelligence suddenly rendering jobs obsolete has exploded as the main worry among job holders, new research from the job-search site Glassdoor shows.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 24, 2026
Earlier this year, shares sold off in a broad software downturn that was spurred by fears that artificial intelligence will make some offerings obsolete.
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
If the computing platform cannot be updated, or too many components fail, it may become obsolete long before the surrounding infrastructure reaches the end of its useful life.
From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2026
“And I couldn’t care less how Scythe Nehru feels. Old-guard scythes have obsolete ideas. They’re too set in their ways to see the wisdom of the Change.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
