Dissuetude

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A condition of having fallen out of use or being abandoned through prolonged neglect
2. The state of something ceasing to be practiced or employed as a result of long abandonment
3. A condition where something has become obsolete through prolonged non-use and cessation of practice

Etymology: Dissuetude is a formal word for the state of a custom or habit having fallen out of use. It comes from Latin "dissuetudo," formed from "dissuescere," "to become unaccustomed." That verb combines the negating prefix "dis-" with "suescere," "to become accustomed," so the word literally describes the loss of a habit. The root "suescere" is linked to "suus," "one's own," which reflects the Roman idea that a habit becomes something a person or community makes their own through repetition. Lose the repetition, and the custom slips away. English also has the variant "desuetude," which has the same meaning and is the more common of the two. Both are used mainly for laws, rules, and traditions that are no longer enforced or practised.

Synonyms: desuetude, disuse, abandonment

Antonyms: use, practice