obsolete en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- äbsəˈlēt (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
- /ˈɒbsəlit/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
- /ˈɒbsəliːt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈɔ̟bsəliːt/ (New-Zealand)
- /ɑbsəˈlit/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
- /ˈɔbsəliːt/ (Australia)
- /ˈɑbsəlit/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁óp(i) Proto-Italic *op Latin ob Latin obs- Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *h₂oléyeti Proto-Italic *oleō Latin *oleō Proto-Indo-European *-sḱéti Proto-Italic *-skō Latin -sco Latin olēscere Latin obsolēscere Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus Latin obsolētusbor. English obsolete Borrowed from Latin obsolētus (“worn out, gone out of use”), past participle of obsolēscere (“to wear out, fall into disuse, grow old, decay”); see obsolesce.
Meanings
-
(of words, qualifier:equipment, usually) No longer in use or no longer useful; now disused or neglected (often in favour of something newer, better, or more fashionable); outmoded.
Since the launch early last year of […] two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations. University brands built in some cases over centuries have been forced to contemplate the possibility that information technology will rapidly make their existing business model obsolete.
2013 July 20, “The attack of the MOOCs”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:Horses became obsolete means of transportation in cities in the first half of the twentieth century.
Speedy, worldwide, accessible delivery of news through the Web has made newspapers obsolete.
-
Imperfectly developed; not very distinct.
These two birds somewhat closely resemble each other, but the Sedge Warbler is russet-brown above, the feathers with dark centres, the pale buff eyestripe is very clearly defined, and the underparts are buffish white; the Reed Warbler is more olive on the upper parts, the feathers having no dark centres, the underparts are more inclined to buff, and the eyestripe is nearly obsolete.
1891, Charles Dixon, The Birds of Our Rambles: With a Companion for the Country, page 130:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most obsolete | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| absolete | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| more obsolete | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
novel · newfangled · current · recent · future proof · employed · in use · fashionable · nascent · active · new · up-to-date
Deriveds
obsoleteness · subobsolete · unobsolete · obsoletism · obsoleter · obsoletor · semiobsolete · nonobsolete · obsoletely
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
inoperative · on its way out · obsolescent · deprecated · moribund · hors de combat · has-been
Relateds
Synonyms
antediluvian · obscure · superseded · fossilized · behind the times · superannuated · cobwebby · passé · dootsie · defunct · mouldy · Havishamesque · antiquated · outdated · antiquated · outworn · out of date · Miss Havishamesque · disused · anachronistic · cobwebbed · old · venerable · disused · old school · antediluvial · abortive · backwards · out of fashion · dated · hoary · old-fashioned · unemployed · obsolete · extinct · backward · archaic · desuete · discontinued · deprecated · primitive · oldfangled · antique · idle · expired · parachronistic · rudimental · unoccupied · workless · outmoded · elderly
Translations (79)
ta வழக்கற்றுப்போன (no longer in use) · sv föråldrad (no longer in use) · nl achterhaald (no longer in use) · ro rudimentară (in biology: imperfectly developed) · nl rudimentair (in biology: imperfectly developed) · zza verên (diq) (no longer in use) · el απαρχαιωμένος (no longer in use) · de obsolet (no longer in use) · ro desuet (no longer in use) · fi vanhentunut (no longer in use) · sv ur bruk (no longer in use) · mi matangarongaro (no longer in use) · zza kehan (diq) (no longer in use) · vi mai một (no longer in use) · az köhnə (no longer in use) · ro rudimentar (in biology: imperfectly developed) · pl przestarzały (no longer in use) · cy darfodedig (no longer in use) · tr eskimiş (no longer in use) · br dispredet (no longer in use) · es desusado (no longer in use) · es obsoleto (no longer in use) · cmn 淘汰 (no longer in use) · hu elavult (no longer in use) · is úreltur (no longer in use) · ja 廃れた (no longer in use) · pl zdezaktualizowany (no longer in use) · br diamzeret (no longer in use) · ar عفا عليها الزمن (no longer in use) · ro scos din uz (no longer in use) · ko 폐어 (no longer in use) · da gået af brug (no longer in use) · nl in onbruik (no longer in use) · la obsolētus (no longer in use) · ga seanchaite (no longer in use) · fr obsolète (no longer in use) · de atroph (in biology: imperfectly developed) · ca obsolet (no longer in use) · cy anarferedig (no longer in use) · cmn 廢棄 /废弃 (no longer in use) · nb foreldet (no longer in use) · hu ósdi (no longer in use) · ms usang (no longer in use) · he מיושן (no longer in use) · el υποτυπώδης (in biology: imperfectly developed) · eo troantikva (no longer in use) · io obsoleta (no longer in use) · hi अप्रचलित (no longer in use) · de veraltet (no longer in use) · bg атрофирал (in biology: imperfectly developed) · de alt (no longer in use) · el παρωχημένος (no longer in use) · ro rudimentare (in biology: imperfectly developed) · sh zastario (no longer in use) · da forældet (no longer in use) · bg излязъл от употреба (no longer in use) · el ξεπερασμένος (no longer in use) · ru устаре́вший (no longer in use) · kk ескірген (no longer in use) · hi अर्धविकसित (in biology: imperfectly developed) · mi tūnguru (no longer in use) · ca rudimentari (in biology: imperfectly developed) · ro rudimentari (in biology: imperfectly developed) · it obsoleto (no longer in use) · ro învechit (no longer in use) · de antiquiert (no longer in use) · ro ieșit din uz (no longer in use) · kk көнерген (no longer in use) · lv novecojis (no longer in use) · nl verouderd (no longer in use) · ja 退化した (in biology: imperfectly developed) · it in disuso (no longer in use) · az köhnəlmiş (no longer in use) · hu idejétmúlt (no longer in use) · ro rudimentar (in biology: imperfectly developed) · cmn 過時 /过时 (no longer in use) · vi lỗi thời (no longer in use) · id usang (no longer in use) · pt obsoleto (no longer in use)