obsolete
/ŏb″sə-lēt′, ŏb′sə-lēt″/
adjective
  1. No longer in use.
    an obsolete word.
  2. Outmoded in design, style, or construction.
    an obsolete locomotive.
  3. (Biology) Vestigial or rudimentary, especially in comparison with related or ancestral species, as the tailbone of an ape. Used of an organ or other part of an organism.
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition. More at Wordnik
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Merriam-Webster
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OBSOLETE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
no longer in use or no longer useful; of a kind or style no longer current : old-fashioned; indistinct or imperfect as compared with a corresponding part in related organisms : rudimentary, vestigial… See the full definition
People also ask

How does the adjective 'obsolete' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of obsolete are ancient, antiquated, antique, archaic, old, and venerable. While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence.

// a computer that makes earlier models obsolete

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merriam-webster.com
merriam-webster.com › thesaurus › obsolete
OBSOLETE Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster ...
When could 'ancient' be used to replace 'obsolete'?

The synonyms ancient and obsolete are sometimes interchangeable, but ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.

// ancient accounts of dragons

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merriam-webster.com
merriam-webster.com › thesaurus › obsolete
OBSOLETE Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster ...
When is 'archaic' a more appropriate choice than 'obsolete'?

In some situations, the words archaic and obsolete are roughly equivalent. However, archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.

// the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

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merriam-webster.com
merriam-webster.com › thesaurus › obsolete
OBSOLETE Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster ...
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Dictionary.com
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OBSOLETE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
The word obsoleteness is hardly ever used, obsolescence standing as the noun form for both obsolete and obsolescent ... First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin obsolētus, past participle of obsolēscere “to fall into disuse,” perhaps equivalent to ob- ob- + sol(ēre) “to be accustomed to” + -ēscere -esce · Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context.
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Collins Dictionary
collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english › obsolete
OBSOLETE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
We welcome feedback: report an example sentence to the Collins team. Read more… It will go obsolete like the floppy disc did. The Guardian (2015)It could have potentially made them obsolete. The Guardian (2015)What other purpose can an obsolete phone box serve? The Guardian (2021)The bad news for the industry is that the weights machines seem obsolete now. The Guardian (2021)Both are more or less obsolete. The Guardian (2020)And twenty per cent of the 2,000 adults quizzed think they are about to become obsolete.
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Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › sentences › obsolete
Examples of 'OBSOLETE' in a Sentence | Merriam-Webster
The construction of the Mount Hope Bridge in the late 1920s made the light obsolete. — Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Aug. 2022 · Then all the games were played and the whole thing was obsolete within hours. — Joe Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Feb.
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Thesaurus.com
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OBSOLETE Synonyms & Antonyms - 71 words | Thesaurus.com
anachronistic ancient antediluvian antique bygone dated dead dead and gone dinosaur discarded disused done for dusty extinct fossil gone had it has-been horse and buggy kaput moldy moth-eaten old old-fashioned old-hat old-school out out-of-fashion outworn passé stale superannuated superseded timeworn unfashionable ... Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com. It’s easy to dismiss my concerns as an obsession with constitutional niceties that modern conditions have rendered obsolete.
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Vocabulary.com
vocabulary.com › dictionary › obsolete
Obsolete - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com
Use the adjective obsolete for something that is out of date. As the Rolling Stones song "Out of Time" goes, "You're obsolete, my baby, my poor old-fashioned baby."
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Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › thesaurus › obsolete
OBSOLETE Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus
While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › dictionary › obsolete
Obsolete Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
[+] more examples [-] hide examples ... : replaced by something newer · obsolete mills and factories · [+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples · 2 · : no longer used by anyone · an obsolete ...
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Longman
ldoceonline.com › dictionary › obsolete
obsolete | meaning of obsolete in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishobsoleteob‧so‧lete /ˈɒbsəliːt $ ˌɑːbsəˈliːt/ ●●○ adjective OLD-FASHIONEDno longer useful, because something newer and better has been invented → out-of-date obsolete weapons computer hardware that quickly became obsolete Will ...
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YourDictionary
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Obsolete Definition & Meaning | YourDictionary
Sacramental confession is enjoined, but has recently become obsolete; prayers for the departed and invocation of saints form part of the services.
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Wordnik
wordnik.com › words › obsolete
obsolete — definition, examples, related words and more at Wordnik
From Latin obsoletus ("worn out, gone out of use"), past participle of obsolescere ("to wear out, fall into disuse, grow old, decay"); see obsolesce. Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word obsolete.
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YourDictionary
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Examples of "Obsolete" in a Sentence | YourDictionary.com
Believers could be in no uncertainty as to which of two contradictory passages remained in force; and they might still find edification in that which had become obsolete. ... On the other hand, Egyptian is certainly related to Semitic. Even before the triliterality of Old Egyptian was recognized, Erman showed that the so-called pseudoparticiple had been really in meaning and in form a precise analogue of the Semitic perfect, though its original employment was almost obsolete in the time of the earliest known texts.
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Collins Dictionary
collinsdictionary.com › sentences › english › obsolete
Examples of 'OBSOLETE' in a sentence | Collins English Sentences
The local neighborhood corner store would be obsolete. ... Its subjectivity replaces and makes expertise obsolete.
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Wiktionary
en.wiktionary.org › wiki › obsolete
obsolete - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
University brands built in some cases over centuries have been forced to contemplate the possibility that information technology will rapidly make their existing business model obsolete. (biology) Imperfectly developed; not very distinct. ... These two birds somewhat closely resemble each other, ...
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Sentence Dictionary
sentencedict.com › obsolete.html
Obsolete in a sentence (esp. good sentence like quote, proverb...)
Meaning: ['ɑbsəlɪːt /ɒb-] adj. 1. old; no longer in use or valid or fashionable 2. no longer in use. ... 13, First came the turbojet, now obsolete, then the turboprop, which is still found onboard small planes. 14, These goods are obsolete and will not fetch much on the market.
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Wordpandit
wordpandit.com › wpt_vocabulary › obsolete
Obsolete - Wordpandit
April 19, 2025 - Picture a once-loved cassette player ... “obsolete.” “Obsolete” captures the poignancy of things that are left behind as society moves forward, a reminder of our ever-evolving world....
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Reverso
dictionary.reverso.net › english-definition › obsolete
OBSOLETE - Definition & Meaning - Reverso English Dictionary
That regulation is obsolete and rarely enforced. The term 'whilst' is now considered obsolete. Many obsolete words are found in old literature. ✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.