ob ‧ so ‧ lete /ˈɒbsəliːt $ ˌɑːbsəˈliːt/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of obsolescere 'to grow old, become disused' ]
no longer useful, because something newer and better has been invented ⇨ out-of-date :
obsolete weapons
computer hardware that quickly became obsolete
Will computers render (=make) books obsolete?
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THESAURUS
▪ old-fashioned not considered modern or fashionable – used about styles of clothes, furniture etc, or about words and ideas:
The room was full of big old-fashioned furniture.
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I can’t wear that dress – it’s too old-fashioned.
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He had a lot of good old-fashioned values.
▪ out-of-date not containing the most recent information and therefore not useful:
This guidebook is completely out-of-date.
▪ outdated used about machines, equipment, or methods that are old-fashioned and have been replaced by better, more recent ones:
In today’s world, technology rapidly becomes outdated.
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The accident was blamed on an outdated rail network.
▪ dated used about styles etc that were fashionable until recently but now look old-fashioned:
The pictures in this book already look a bit dated.
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I liked the food but the decor in the restaurant was very dated.
▪ unfashionable not fashionable and not popular with people anymore:
They lived in an unfashionable part of London.
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The word ‘patriotic’ has become rather unfashionable these days.
▪ obsolete old-fashioned – used about machines and equipment that are no longer being produced because better ones have been invented:
These days, you buy a computer and it’s almost immediately obsolete.
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Many laboratories use obsolete equipment and do not receive enough funding.
▪ antiquated formal old and not suitable for modern needs and conditions:
antiquated ideas about the constitution
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an antiquated central heating system
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antiquated technology