superannuate

American  

[soo-per-an-yoo-eyt] / ˌsu pərˈæn juˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

superannuated, superannuating

1. to allow to retire from service or office on a pension because of age or infirmity.

2. to set aside as out of date; remove as too old.

---

verb (used without object)

superannuated, superannuating

1. to be or become old, out of date, or retired.

superannuate British  

/ ˌsuːpərˈænjʊˌeɪt /

verb

1. to pension off

2. to discard as obsolete or old-fashioned

---

Etymology

Origin of superannuate

First recorded in 1640–50; back formation from superannuated

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

superannuate superannuated

If I was a Lord of the Admiralty I’d promote you to-day and superannuate you to-morrow.

From The Missing Ship The Log of the "Ouzel" Galley by Kingston, William Henry Giles

He was as ready to offer compensation as we ourselves are when we superannuate a clerk or suppress an office.

From Davenport Dunn, Volume 1 (of 2) A Man Of Our Day by Lever, Charles James

But no time can superannuate the subjects which Burns has sung; they are rooted in the primary strata, which are steadfast.

From Robert Burns by Shairp, John Campbell

As he increased in years so did he in his abstractions of mind, and the governors of the charity thought it necessary to superannuate him with a pension.

From Jacob Faithful by Marryat, Frederick

You will have to superannuate it shortly, and return to the old original letter-box—my letter-box, which I remember so well.

From The Laurel Bush by Craik, Dinah Maria Mulock

But today Iran’s proxies are weakened, its economy is fragile, its population is restless and its leadership is superannuated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026

Disney may have figured that it had a couple of surefire hits in its pipeline with “The Marvels” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” a sequel in that already superannuated series.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2024

Its high-tech windmills and superannuated smokestacks are only the most visible evidence of a three-decade campaign.

From New York Times ● Nov. 1, 2021

Typically, promising stars are put through a gruelling training schedule as they pass along the conveyor-belt production of new girl and boybands to replace their quickly superannuated colleagues.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 22, 2019

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