outdated

American  

[out-dey-tid] / ˌaʊtˈdeɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. no longer in use or fashionable; out-of-date; outmoded; antiquated.

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outdated British  

/ ˌaʊtˈdeɪtɪd /

adjective

1. old-fashioned or obsolete

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Etymology

Origin of outdated

First recorded in 1610–20; out- + date ¹ + -ed ²

Explanation

Anything that's so old-fashioned that it's unstylish or not useful is outdated. You might love the way an antique car looks, but its outdated safety standards (no seat belts or airbags) make it dangerous to drive on the highway. The 70s bell-bottom jeans your aunt still wears might be embarrassingly outdated, but at least they function as pants. Your outdated computer, on the other hand, isn't even capable of getting online or connecting to your printer — in other words, it's obsolete, or completely useless. This adjective dates from the early 1600s, from the "mark as old fashioned" meaning of the verb date.

Example Sentences

"There are these incredible shows that tour the world like Riverdance and Celtic Woman and Lord of the Dance, but the representation of women in these groups is still very much outdated."

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Thanks to changes in outdated FDA guidelines, more people are now eligible to donate blood.

From Slate • May 9, 2026

Companies locking in huge amounts of capacity today risk spending billions on infrastructure that could quickly become outdated as newer chips hit the market.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

I like it when incumbents are operating on outdated systems because that creates a substantial opportunity to leapfrog competitors with modern integrated technology.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

They made fun of his tantrums, his outdated cane, and his apocalyptic predictions, and said he looked like a crow in his mourning.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Related Words

• antiquated
• archaic
• obsolete
• old
• out-of-date
• outmoded