outdated
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of outdated
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Anything that's so old-fashioned that it's unstylish or not useful is outdated. You might love the way an antique car looks, but its outdated safety standards (no seat belts or airbags) make it dangerous to drive on the highway. The 70s bell-bottom jeans your aunt still wears might be embarrassingly outdated, but at least they function as pants. Your outdated computer, on the other hand, isn't even capable of getting online or connecting to your printer — in other words, it's obsolete, or completely useless.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.
Vocabulary lists containing outdated
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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.
“You either have vastly outdated numbers or are simply mistaken,” it said, but would not elaborate.
From Salon • Jun. 23, 2026
Around 10% of the videos went even further, adding outdated footage or fake headlines to imply they won their bets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
"Poor insulation and outdated windows mean classrooms can become uncomfortably hot, which has a direct impact on pupils' ability to learn and regulate," she says.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
Warsh strongly hinted the Fed would do the same, rather than rely primarily on incomplete or outdated government data collected through antiquated methods.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
These critics charged that Garfield's physicians followed outdated Civil War era medical ideas.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
