1
Core quality
No longer used, useful, or current because something newer has replaced it.
Example
Digital imaging made the older process obsolete.
obsolete
/ˈɒbsəliːt/ · OB-suh-leetadjective
No longer used, useful, or current because something newer has replaced it.
Use obsolete to express this relationship precisely: no longer used, useful, or current because something newer has replaced it.
What obsolete Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
The catalogue still uses several obsolete classifications.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
A once-essential device may become obsolete when standards change.
Use obsolete Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
Digital imaging made the older process obsolete.
The catalogue still uses several obsolete classifications.
A once-essential device may become obsolete when standards change.
Precision Matters
Obsolete overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
obsolete
vs.Means no longer used, useful, or current because something newer has replaced it.
outmoded
Means no longer current, useful, or fashionable; outdated.
obsolete
vs.Means no longer used, useful, or current because something newer has replaced it.
moribund
Means approaching death or becoming inactive, obsolete, or defunct.
obsolete
vs.Means no longer used, useful, or current because something newer has replaced it.
supplant
Means to replace or supersede something previously established.
obsolete
vs.Means no longer used, useful, or current because something newer has replaced it.
novel
Means new, original, or strikingly different from what has been known or used before.
Test obsolete in Context
The machine is out of date and no longer practically usable.
1
Because replacement parts are no longer produced, the original machine is effectively ___.