The AI-powered English dictionary
comparative more obsolete, superlative most obsolete
(of words, equipment, etc.) No longer in use; gone into disuse; disused or neglected (often in favour of something newer). quotations examples
Since the launch early last year of […] two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations. University brands built in some cases over centuries have been forced to contemplate the possibility that information technology will rapidly make their existing business model obsolete.
2013 July 20, “The attack of the MOOCs”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845
(biology) Imperfectly developed; not very distinct. quotations
These two birds somewhat closely resemble each other, but the Sedge Warbler is russet-brown above, the feathers with dark centres, the pale buff eyestripe is very clearly defined, and the underparts are buffish white; the Reed Warbler is more olive on the upper parts, the feathers having no dark centres, the underparts are more inclined to buff, and the eyestripe is nearly obsolete.
1891, Charles Dixon, The Birds of Our Rambles: With a Companion for the Country, page 130
third-person singular simple present obsoletes, present participle obsoleting, simple past and past participle obsoleted
(transitive) To cause to become obsolete. quotations examples
Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us?
2023 March 22, “Pause Giant AI Experiments: An Open Letter”, in Future of Life Institute