ˈdeswē]ˌtüd, -swə̇], ].ˌtyüd also deˈsüə] sometimes ˈdezw- or ˈdeˌsü- or ˈdesˌyü- noun
( -s )
Etymology: French or Latin; French désuétude, from Latin desuetudo, from desuetus, past participle of desuescere to become unaccustomed, from de- + suescere to become accustomed; akin to Latin suus one's own — more at suicide
1. : discontinuance from use, practice, exercise, or functioning
as to the Scottish statute it is presumably abrogated by desuetude — Frederick Pollock
vexing myself today over the gradual desuetude of our correspondence — A.T.Quiller-Couch
figureheads … are being used again after long years of desuetude — John Woodyatt
there are those who foresee total desuetude for our society with the profit motive thus wantonly eliminated — Irwin Edman
2. : a state of protracted suspension or of apparent abandonment
an ancient custom that has fallen into desuetude
we all have this profound unconscious, but it falls into atrophy and desuetude because most of us do not utilize it — L.K.Anspacher
: a state of disuse or neglect attended by deterioration
what energy and vision may do for an old school fast falling into desuetude — J.P.Marquand
: outmoded or discarded status
the purely speculative and seemingly impractical things should have fallen into disfavor and disrepute, if not positive desuetude — F.X.Meehan