obsolete Definition
ob·so·lete (äb′sə lēt′, äb′sə lēt′)
adjective
- no longer in use or practice; discarded
- no longer in fashion; out-of-date; passé
- Biol. rudimentary or poorly developed as compared with its counterpart in other individuals of a related species, the opposite sex, etc.; vestigial: said of an organ, etc.
Etymology: L obsoletus, pp. of obsolescere, to go out of use < ob- (see ob-) + *-solescere (< exolescere, to grow out of use < ex-, ex- + ? alescere, to increase: see adolescent)
transitive verb -·let′ed, -·let′·ing
to make obsolete, as by replacing with something newer
obsolete Related Forms
ob′·so·lete′ly adverb
ob′·so·lete′·ness noun
obsolete Synonyms
obsolete
modif.
obsolete Usage Examples
Modifying Another Word
- virtually: These types of aircraft make the need for runways virtually obsolete.
- largely: This is largely obsolete now the NASA DEMs are freely available.
- now: Fathers are now obsolete, nothing more than mobile sperm donors creating new drones for the States new consumer class.
- almost: He also tells us that in the 1970s the " now almost obsolete floppy disk " only held 1 Mb.
- somewhat: In its attempt to be in step with contemporary literary criticism, much biblical criticism unfortunately is somewhat obsolete on arrival.
- increasingly: Duties on share dealing and on gambling look increasingly obsolete in the face of Internet competition.
Adjective complement with noun phrase
- render: The collapse of the USSR had rendered this schism effectively obsolete.
- make: By the First World War, military technology had made the forts obsolete.
Modifies a noun
- pesticide: This includes used oil, batteries, asbestos, unwanted or obsolete pesticides and veterinary wastes.
- inventory: Indeed, excess and obsolete inventory is a very good barometer of the overall effectiveness of a company's operations.
- hardware: Second, replacing obsolete hardware through acquisition of new major weapons systems is less of a priority.
- stock: But we do specialize in obsolete, new old stock spares and there is no guaranteed route for us obtaining these.
- equipment: The rest comes from old scrap which is material salvaged from obsolete equipment.
- component: Who makes the decisions to prolong the lives of selected obsolete components?
Used with adjective complement
- render: Software isn't rendered obsolete in exactly the way cars are.
- become: The medium may become obsolete with a few years.
- declare: Mk 6 and all carriages were declared obsolete in 1913.
- consider: He also noted that equipment, which may be considered obsolete here, would be considered useful elsewhere.
- seem: Then David May signed, and much of the content seemed obsolete.
- make: The proposed set must not be likely to be made obsolete within the near future.
Browse dictionary entries near obsolete
- ‹ obsolescent
- ‹ obsolescence
- ‹ obsolesce
- ‹ obsidian
- ‹ obsessive compulsive disorder
- ‹ obsessive-compulsive
- ‹ obsessive
- ‹ obsession
- ‹ obsessed
- ‹ obsess
- obstacle ›
- obstacle course ›
- obstetric ›
- obstetrician ›
- obstetrics ›
- obstinacy ›
- obstinate ›
- obstinately ›
- obstipation ›
- obstreperous ›

