obsolete

Intermediatezipf 3.65

Pronunciation

/ˌɒbsəˈliːt/(ob-suh-LEET)

Part of speech

adjectiveneutral

Chinese

过时的；淘汰的；废弃的

Definition

No longer produced or used; outmoded; superseded by something newer or better.

Word family

  • obsolescence/ˌɒbsəˈlɛsəns/(n)过时

Collocations

  • become obsolete
  • render obsolete
  • obsolete technology
  • planned obsolescence
  • rapidly obsolete

Examples

  1. 1.Smartphones rendered many devices — cameras, GPS units, MP3 players — effectively obsolete. (no longer needed)
  2. 2.Planned obsolescence is a business strategy of deliberately designing products with a limited lifespan. (built to become outdated)

Synonyms

  • outdated/aʊtˈdeɪtɪd/— no longer current
  • archaic/ɑːˈkeɪɪk/— very old-fashioned
  • defunct/dɪˈfʌŋkt/— no longer existing or functioning

Etymology

from Latin "obsoletus" (worn out, fallen into disuse) — "obsolescere" (to fall into disuse) — ob- (away) + solere (to be accustomed)