obsolete
UK[ˈɒbsəliːt]US[ˌɑːbsəˈliːt]
adj
no longer produced or used; out of date.
v
cause (a product or idea) to become obsolete by replacing it with something newer.
Morpheme Breakdown
ob
solete
ob
against
solete
accustomed
Etymology
the word 'obsolete' entered english in the late 16th century from the latin 'obsoletus', the past participle of 'obsolescere', meaning "to fall into disuse". 'obsolescere' itself is a compound of the intensive prefix 'ob-' and the verb 'solere', which means "to be accustomed". the literal sense is "grown old, worn out, gone out of use". the semantic logic traces a path from a state of being accustomed or usual, to the process of becoming antiquated by going against or away from that current state of use. it perfectly captures the concept of something being displaced by newer customs or technology.
Analysis
Structure: ob (against) + solete (accustomed)
- ob: a latin prefix meaning "against, in the way of, toward".
- solete: from the latin verb 'solere', meaning "to be accustomed, used to".
Examples
floppy disks have become obsolete technology.
the new software update will obsolete the previous version.
his knowledge of the old manufacturing process was rendered obsolete.