OBSOLESCENCE Synonyms: 21 Similar and Opposite Words

obsolescence

noun

Definition of obsolescence

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of obsolescence Concerns about the software industry’s obsolescence fueled a massive sell-off earlier this year as investors bet AI agents would crush the sector’s business models. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Each state has its own system, and many are rickety or verging on obsolescence. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 That same month, the Roundhill HALO ETF, which focuses on high-asset, low-obsolescence stocks as a diversification strategy from AI, purchased shares of Casey’s, marking the fund’s sole convenience store investment. — Norah Rami, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026 The White Worm, who styled herself as a peacetime consigliere, is reduced to obsolescence by the promise of all-out war. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for obsolescence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsolescence

Noun

The Palmyran relief, alongside 14 mosaics taken from a Syrian Roman villa, are part of a collection of 31 Middle Eastern and North African antiquities allegedly brought to New York by trafficker Georges Lotfi.

— News Desk, Artforum, 25 Sep. 2026
The récamier is not an especially practical piece of furniture, but one on which a person could pose elegantly and decoratively, especially at a time when fashion favored flowing white dresses inspired by antiquity.

— Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of antiquity

Noun

As the industrial age took hold, geometry continued to show force in the colonial infantries abroad and through isomorphic police squadrons that fit neatly into modernizing city blocks patrolled back home.

— Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Across all age groups, alcohol use declined by nearly 2%, and heavy drinking declined by more than 8% from 2022 to 2024.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of age

Browse Nearby Words

obsess (over)

obsolescence

obsolescent

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“Obsolescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsolescence. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of obsolescence

noun

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