adjective
obsolescent
ahb-suh-LES-unt/ˌɑːbsəˈlesnt/
Becoming outdated or falling out of use.
The desktop computer becomes obsolescent as a modern laptop takes its place.
Etymology
The Latin verb means “to fall into disuse.” Its present-participle form presents that decline as ongoing: something obsolescent is passing out of use, rather than already wholly outdated.
In context
… new things come up old Things become obsolescent …
More examples
- The factory struggles to find replacement parts for its obsolescent machinery.
- These once-common expressions are now obsolescent.
- The bank is gradually replacing its obsolescent software.
Forms
obsolescent
obsolescence noun — The process of becoming outdated or unused.
Similar words
- obsolete
- Already out of use, rather than gradually becoming so.
- outdated
- No longer current, but not necessarily disappearing from use.