Synonyms for obsolete
- adjective
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Outdated — no longer in use or no longer useful; now disused or neglected (often in favour of something newer, better…
outdated, archaic, antiquated, out-of-date, old, obsolescent, outmoded, disused, old-fashioned, superannuated, anachronistic, old use, extinct, defunct, deprecated, discontinued, antique, ancient, antediluvian, expired, dated, backward
2. Obscure — imperfectly developed; not very distinct
Definitions
- adj. 1
No longer in use or no longer useful; now disused or neglected (often in favour of something newer, better, or more fashionable); outmoded.
Speedy, worldwide, accessible delivery of news through the Web has made newspapers obsolete.
- adj. 2
Imperfectly developed; not very distinct.
Related words
- Word family
- obsoleteness obsoleter obsoletor obsolescence
- Is a kind of
- former inactive
Choose the right word
Some of the oldest or most ancient words are not obsolete, as father, mother, etc.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- outdated It's about time we did away with this outdated law.
- archaic We inherited many of the genes of archaic humans.
- antiquated He has somewhat antiquated ideas about education.
- forgotten An injury is much sooner forgotten than an insult.
- moot It's a moot point now anyway.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| obsolete | falling | |
| outdated | rising | |
| archaic | steady | |
| antiquated | steady | |
| obsolescent | falling | |
| forgotten | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- old1
- 4 letters
- past1, moot1
- 5 letters
- dated2, moldy2
- 6 letters
- mouldy2
- 7 letters
- ancient2, antique2, obscure2, expired2, extinct2, archaic3, defunct2, disused
- 8 letters
- outdated3, backward2, abortive3, outmoded3, cobwebby
- 9 letters
- forgotten3, cobwebbed
- 10 letters
- antiquated4, deprecated4, rudimental
- 11 letters
- obsolescent4
- 12 letters
- discontinued4, antediluvian
- 13 letters
- anachronistic5, superannuated
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (dated2 = 2 syllables).