as in obsoleteness
the condition of no longer being used or useful; the condition of being obsolete
the obsolescence of the old technology Once a useful tool, slide rules have fallen into obsolescence.
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Recent Examples of obsolescence
And with a president largely unsympathetic toward immigrants’ success, that could lead to obsolescence for a large subsection of workers powering the apparel manufacturing operations in the U.S. today.
—
Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 30 May 2025
Organizations that treat Generative AI as a set of apps will see temporary productivity bumps—followed by competitive obsolescence.
—John Sviokla, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
There are now more than two decades’ worth of experimental websites, art projects on defunct social networks, and vernacular digital images that have simply been lost to technological obsolescence and disuse.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 7 May 2025
In This Article Ornate Woods and Detailed Carving Dark, Moody Woods
Curves and Soft Edges
Reclining Sofas
There are five steps to the trend cycle: introduction, rise, peak, decline, and obsolescence.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obsolescence
Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 30 May 2025
Organizations that treat Generative AI as a set of apps will see temporary productivity bumps—followed by competitive obsolescence.
—John Sviokla, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
There are now more than two decades’ worth of experimental websites, art projects on defunct social networks, and vernacular digital images that have simply been lost to technological obsolescence and disuse.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 7 May 2025
In This Article Ornate Woods and Detailed Carving Dark, Moody Woods
Curves and Soft Edges
Reclining Sofas
There are five steps to the trend cycle: introduction, rise, peak, decline, and obsolescence.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obsolescence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsolescence
Noun
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First and foremost, the movie is a period piece revisiting the horrors of the AIDS epidemic with actual horror, transforming HIV-positive patients into humans whose bodies gradually turn to marble, like X-Men crossed with the Greek antiquities wing at the Louvre.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2025
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America had brought into the world an agent of displacement no less profound than what antiquity had known — the raw power of capitalism.—
Andrew Moore,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Note: Watch Brielle Lubin in 2019, at age 14, discuss this issue.—
Glenn Llopis,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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The new warning label discloses the risk of myocarditis, which appeared in 8 cases per 1 million people who got the 2023-2024 COVID shots between the ages of 6 months and 64 years old, mostly commonly among males aged 12 to 24.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obsolescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsolescence. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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