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

But in France at the moment, today’s ultimatum is tomorrow’s obsolescence. —Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024

Director Michael Arden leans hard on an impressively high-tech set, but what makes the show click is the way its whimsy is cut by shadings of melancholy, with its robots ever-aware of their impending obsolescence and yet still trying to be human. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024

And Akhtar thought about a play in which a consummate artist at the peak of his powers beholds a new technology and confronts his own obsolescence in the face of something so sublime. —Ayad Akhtar, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024

American manufacturers are at a crossroads, needing to decide between evolution and obsolescence. —Saar Yoskovitz, Forbes, 12 Dec. 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