English▸ adjective
1 no longer produced or used; out of date:
the disposal of old and obsolete machinery
the phrase was obsolete after 1625.
2 Biology (of a part or characteristic of an organism) less developed than formerly or in a related species; rudimentary; vestigial.
▸ verb [with object] mainly US English cause (a product or idea) to become obsolete by replacing it with something new:
we're trying to stimulate the business by obsoleting last year's designs.
– ORIGIN late 16th century: from Latin obsoletus ‘grown old, worn out’, past participle of obsolescere ‘fall into disuse’.