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Synonyms

outmoded

American  
[aut-moh-did] / ˌaʊtˈmoʊ dɪd /

adjective

  1. gone out of style; no longer fashionable.

    outmoded styles.

    Synonyms:
    old-fashioned, dated, unfashionable
  2. not acceptable by present standards; no longer usable; obsolete.

    outmoded dwellings; outmoded teaching methods.


outmoded British  
/ ˌaʊtˈməʊdɪd /

adjective

  1. no longer fashionable or widely accepted

  2. no longer practical or usable

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of outmoded

see origin at outmode, -ed 2

Explanation

Something that is outmoded is no longer cool or in style, like your dad's outmoded hairstyle that he's had since he was in high school. The French are known for their sense of fashion and style, so it's no surprise that they coined the word démodé to describe things that are no longer cool. De- means "out, off, away" and mode means "fashion." The English word outmoded is simply a translation of démodé: "out of fashion" or "out of style."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing outmoded

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.

See Examples For:

Some of them already feel outmoded by “AI natives” like you.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

Co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos has previously called such releases “an outmoded idea for most people” and said Netflix makes movies for people to watch on Netflix.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

Those institutions of democracy that fill Americans with so much outmoded pride served as inspirations to the world; that much is true.

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2025

The chips also are outmoded for some AI applications compared to the company’s top-of-the-line Blackwell series, which are still subject to a U.S. export ban.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2025

However, it occurs to me that perhaps what one takes objection to is, specifically, the outmoded understanding of what a 'distinguished household' is, rather than to the general principle being expressed.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

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