Vocabulary
Obsolete meaning: no longer used or needed
Sign in to saveA cassette player can still work, yet most people no longer use one. In that situation, obsolete is a more exact word than old.
Use obsolete for something that is no longer used because a newer or better alternative has replaced it.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
obsolete /ˌb.səˈliːt/
The short answer
Obsolete means no longer used or needed because something newer or better has taken its place.
The office replaced its obsolete filing system with a secure digital record system.
Why it works: The filing system was replaced because a newer system now does the job.
3 more examples
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The museum kept the obsolete telephone exchange as part of its collection.
The equipment is no longer used for ordinary telephone service, although the museum keeps it.
Not this:The museum kept the
old telephone exchangeas part of its collection. What changes: Old tells us about age. Obsolete explains that the equipment has been replaced in normal use. -
The company removed an obsolete approval step after introducing a secure online form.
The online form replaced the older step, so people no longer need it.
Not this:The company removed
an inconvenient approval stepafter introducing a secure online form. What changes: Inconvenient describes difficulty. Obsolete describes a step that has been replaced. -
Several words in the guide are obsolete and do not appear in everyday conversation now.
A word can become obsolete when speakers stop using it in ordinary language.
Not this:Several words in the guide
are unfamiliarand do not appear in everyday conversation now. What changes: Unfamiliar means that the listener may not know the words. It does not prove that people have stopped using them.
Read the full guide
Use obsolete when replacement is part of the meaning. An object can be old and still useful, so old does not always mean obsolete.
Start with replacement
Obsolete points to a change in use. People once used the thing, method, or word, then moved to another option. That replacement is the reason for choosing obsolete.
Paper maps became obsolete for many drivers after navigation apps became common.
Keep old and obsolete separate
Old is about age. Obsolete is about present use. A family recipe can be old without being obsolete because people may still cook it. A fax machine may be obsolete in an office even if the machine itself is not very old.
An old tool has existed for a long time. An obsolete tool has been replaced for the work people now do.
Use it for more than technology
Technology is a common subject, but obsolete can also describe procedures, regulations, and language. A workplace may remove an obsolete form. A dictionary may mark a word obsolete when it is no longer used in ordinary speech.
The editor changed the obsolete phrase to wording that readers use today.
Compare obsolete and outdated
Outdated often means that something needs updating. An outdated website may still be online and useful. Obsolete is stronger: it says that the item has largely stopped being used because another option has replaced it.
The instructions were outdated, but the safety procedure was not obsolete.
Choose the word in context
A shop still uses a computer program from 2018, but the program works and has not been replaced. Is obsolete the best word?
Probably not. Old or outdated may fit better. Obsolete needs the idea that people have replaced the program or no longer use it for the job.
Before you go
Remember this
Use obsolete for a thing, method, rule, or word that has been replaced and is no longer in normal use. Choose old for age and outdated for something that still exists but needs updating.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Obsolete meaning: no longer used or needed"
What does obsolete mean?
Obsolete means no longer used or needed because a newer method, product, or system has replaced it.
The museum kept the obsolete telephone exchange as part of its collection.
Does obsolete just mean old?
No. Old describes age. Obsolete describes something that is no longer in normal use because another option has taken its place.
The museum kept the old telephone exchange as part of its collection.
Can technology be obsolete?
Yes. Obsolete often describes equipment or technology that people have stopped using after a newer system became available.
The company removed an obsolete approval step after introducing a secure online form.
What is the difference between obsolete and outdated?
Outdated means that something needs updating and may still be used. Obsolete usually means that normal use has ended because a replacement exists.
The company removed an inconvenient approval step after introducing a secure online form.
How do you pronounce obsolete?
Say ob-suh-LEET. The strongest stress is on the final syllable.
Several words in the guide are obsolete and do not appear in everyday conversation now.