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Definition of obsolete
1a : no longer in use or no longer useful an obsolete wordb : of a kind or style no longer current : old-fashioned an obsolete technology farming methods that are now obsolete
2 of a plant or animal part : indistinct or imperfect as compared with a corresponding part in related organisms : vestigial
obsoletely
adverbobsoleteness
nounFrom the M-W Editors
Examples of obsolete in a Sentence
It may not be welcome news in her home state of Pennsylvania, but chemist Cynthia Kuper could help make steel obsolete. Experimenting with carbon nanotubes, structures a few atoms wide but 100 times stronger and much lighter than steel, Kuper calls her work an “amusement park discovery.” —Joanna Chung, Newsweek, 23 Sept. 2002
He exercised a right so rare, at this the fag-end of the century, as to be practically obsolete. The most fundamental right of all. The right to be the good guy. —Zadie Smith, White Teeth, 2000
I never had parents, really. My mom was gone, my dad was at work or with his girlfriends, we had baby-sitters. My parents were obsolete. —Jonathan Kozol, Voices From the Future, 1993
The system was made obsolete by their invention.
I was told my old printer is obsolete and I can't get replacement parts.
Recent Examples of obsolete from the Web
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Of course, the everydayness and portability of photography today has rendered the more labor-intensive versions obsolete.
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Technologies grow obsolete as the world spins forward, but the verities of art, the lessons of history, and the tenets of great philosophers are enduringly relevant.
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Advances in technology have always been this two-sided coin, one side allowing us to be smarter, faster and better; the other making us obsolete.
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Could cul-de-sacs — the ultimate symbol of suburban life — eventually become obsolete in Overland Park?
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When the cycle starts over again, old hardware libraries are rendered obsolete.
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What makes the sacrifice even more noble is that the Devastator — slow, not very maneuverable and only lightly armored — was known to be obsolete.
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To a new generation of teenage consumers, school showers appeared obsolete, even regressive. * *
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And if coal happens to be obsolete by then, no problem.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obsolete'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of obsolete
Latin obsoletus, from past participle of obsolescere to grow old, become disused, perhaps from ob- toward + solēre to be accustomed
Synonym Discussion of obsolete
Definition of obsolete
obsoleted
;obsoleting
transitive verb
: to make (something) old-fashioned or no longer useful : make obsolete
Examples of obsolete in a Sentence
While many … do describe various small, quick-loading 35mm film cartridges, modern technology has obsoleted these. —Herbert Keppler, Popular Photography, November 1993
… older cpu's whose speed and efficiency never were fully tapped before they were effectively obsoleted by their manufacturers … —Edith Myers, Datamation, November 1977
For radio itself deliberately obsoletes today what it built yesterday. —David Sarnoff, Television, 1936
Origin and Etymology of obsolete
see 1obsolete
OBSOLETE Defined for English Language Learners
obsolete
playDefinition of obsolete for English Language Learners
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: no longer used because something newer exists : replaced by something newer
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: no longer used by anyone
OBSOLETE Defined for Kids
obsolete
playDefinition of obsolete for Students
: no longer in use : out-of-date The machinery is now obsolete.
Medical Dictionary
obsolete
playMedical Definition of obsolete
: no longer active or distinct obsolete cases of infection obsolete pulmonary lesions
Learn More about obsolete
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See words that rhyme with obsolete Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for obsolete Spanish Central: Translation of obsolete Nglish: Translation of obsolete for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of obsolete for Arabic speakers
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