obsolescence

noun

ob·​so·​les·​cence ˌäb-sə-ˈle-sᵊn(t)s 

: the process of becoming obsolete or the condition of being nearly obsolete

the gradual obsolescence of machinery

reduced to obsolescence

the planned obsolescence of automobiles

Examples of obsolescence in a Sentence

the obsolescence of the old technology

Once a useful tool, slide rules have fallen into obsolescence.

Recent Examples on the Web

This score predicts the life span of a technology based on the patent, considering factors like the pace of innovation in the field, potential for obsolescence, and likelihood of being superseded by newer technologies. —Joseph K. Hopkins, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024

Wagstaff describes a neo-romantic fashion ideal materializing in the influencer sphere of trad-wives and white women who signal feminism’s obsolescence. —Essence, 17 Aug. 2024

Like tanks, large surface ships, including aircraft carriers, are at risk of obsolescence. —Lorenz Meier, TIME, 13 Aug. 2024

Set mostly in 2001, the movie, which was scripted by Ivy Ho, has something to say about the passage of time, the obsolescence of old technologies and the advancement of new ones, and the way stories endure even when their modes of delivery do not. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 23 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1832, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing obsolescence

• built-in/planned obsolescence

Kids Definition

obsolescence

noun

ob·​so·​les·​cence ˌäb-sə-ˈles-ᵊn(t)s 

: the process of becoming obsolete or the state of being nearly obsolete

Legal Definition

obsolescence

noun

ob·​so·​les·​cence ˌäb-sə-ˈles-ᵊns 

: a loss in the utility or value of property that results over time from intrinsic limitations (as outmoded facilities) or external circumstances

Note: Obsolescence is usually distinguished from depreciation and physical deterioration.

— economic obsolescence

: obsolescence that results from external factors (as location) that render a property obsolete, no longer competitive, unattractive to purchasers or investors, or of decreasing usefulness

claimed that the appraisal failed to account for economic obsolescence resulting from an adjacent waste facility

— functional obsolescence \ ˈfəŋk-​shə-​nəl-​ \

: obsolescence deriving from a lack of adequate or appropriate equipment, space, or design