obsolete
obsolete Lexical Profile
obsolete Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
No longer produced or used; out of date, typically because of having been replaced by something newer or more effective.
"Rapid advances in cloud storage quickly made physical floppy disks and compact discs obsolete."
(Of a biological organ or physical characteristic) rudimentary, imperfectly developed, or vestigial in comparison with the corresponding feature in related organisms.
"In certain species of flightless beetles, the hind wings are nearly obsolete beneath the fused wing covers."
• verb
To cause (a product, technology, or idea) to become obsolete by replacing it with something new.
"The software company launched a unified platform that effectively obsoleted its legacy desktop applications."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Obsolete' describes something that has completely fallen out of use, whereas 'obsolescent' refers to something that is in the process of becoming obsolete but is still occasionally used.
• Rhymes for obsolete
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from Latin 'obsoletus', the past participle of 'obsolescere' (to grow old or wear out), derived from 'ob-' (away) and 'solere' (to be accustomed).