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obsolete meaning and examples

2025-08-31

Meaning

  • Obsolete means something that is no longer used, needed, or produced because it has been replaced by something newer or better.
  • It often refers to technology, ideas, or products that are out of date.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: Adjective

  • Used before nouns or after linking verbs like be, become, seem.

  • Common structures:

    • "X is obsolete."
    • "This technology has become obsolete."

Common Phrases

  • obsolete technology
  • obsolete equipment
  • obsolete law
  • become obsolete

Collocations

  • Verb + obsolete: become obsolete, render obsolete, make obsolete
  • Noun + obsolete: obsolete system, obsolete method, obsolete device
  • Adverb + obsolete: completely obsolete, totally obsolete, largely obsolete

Examples

  1. Typewriters have become obsolete since the invention of computers.
  2. Many old laws are obsolete and no longer enforced.
  3. The company upgraded its obsolete equipment to improve efficiency.
  4. Cassette tapes are now considered obsolete in the music industry.
  5. Smartphones have rendered obsolete many other devices like calculators and cameras.
  6. Some traditions remain even though they may seem obsolete today.
  7. That computer program is obsolete and doesn’t run on modern systems.
  8. His way of thinking is obsolete in the current business world.
  • outdated
  • out-of-date
  • old-fashioned
  • archaic
  • antiquated