Obsolete

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈɒbsəliːt/

Definitions

1. No longer in use or no longer useful; out of date or outdated
2. No longer in active use or relevance, often rendered ineffective or superseded by more current alternatives
3. associated with something that has lost its value or significance in contemporary contexts

Etymology: The adjective "obsolete" is a Latin past participle that carried a sense of wearing away. Its root, "obsolēscere," meant "to wear out, fall into disuse, grow old, decay," and the participle "obsolētus" described something already worn out or gone out of use. English took it over directly from that participle, so the word has always held the idea of something that has been used up rather than simply replaced. The Latin verb itself is built from "ob-," "toward" or "against," and "olēscere," an inchoative verb meaning "to grow" or "to grow up," which is linked to "alere," "to nourish." The sense of growing old and wearing out is therefore built into the verb's structure, with the "-sc-" ending marking the process of becoming.

Synonyms: outdated, antiquated, outmoded

Antonyms: current, modern, new