superannuated
Americanadjective
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retired because of age or infirmity.
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too old for use, work, service, or a position.
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antiquated or obsolete.
superannuated ideas.
adjective
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discharged, esp with a pension, owing to age or illness
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too old to serve usefully
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obsolete
Etymology
Origin of superannuated
1625–35; alteration (with -u- of annual ) of Medieval Latin superannātus over a year old (said of cattle), equivalent to super ann ( um ) beyond a year + -ātus -ate 1; see -ed 2
Explanation
If a friend describes your dot matrix printer as superannuated, then you should probably plan a shopping trip for electronics. Your friend has just pointed out that your printer is obsolete. The word superannuated, pronounced "su-per-AN-you-ay-ted," comes from the Medieval Latin word superannuatus, which means “to be too old.” You can use this word to describe things that are obsolete because of age, like a superannuated car you can't fix because replacement parts are no longer made. You also might be tempted to call the word superannuated, well, superannuated, because you don’t hear it used very much anymore.
Vocabulary lists containing superannuated
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Animal Farm
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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.
In some cases, the need to usher superannuated politicians out the door is indisputable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
And yet the digital media giant, which recently began hijacking Christmas with the NFL, continues to lean in to these superannuated sports fliers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
Before they can solve that mystery and save their lives, the superannuated Sphinxes have to deal with the vicious Brad.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 13, 2022
Our health care, housing, recreation and retirement institutions are not set up to manage the needs of the superannuated.
From New York Times ● Jul. 1, 2021
The talk of setting aside a corner of the pasture for superannuated animals had long since been dropped.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
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.
