Unused vs Obsolete - What's the difference?
unused | obsolete |
not used
not accustomed
No longer in use; gone into disuse; disused or neglected (often by preference for something newer, which replaces the subject).
* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
, title= (biology) Imperfectly developed; not very distinct.
(US)
As adjectives the difference between unused and obsolete
is that unused is not used while obsolete is no longer in use; gone into disuse; disused or neglected (often by preference for something newer, which replaces the subject).As a verb obsolete is
to cause to become obsolete.unused
English
Usage notes
The second pronunciation () pronunciation, which is acceptable for either sense and is normally used for the "not used" sense in all registers.Adjective
(en adjective)- I have two unused vouchers for a free meal.
- I am unused to the dark nights of the countryside.
Anagrams
*obsolete
English
Adjective
(en adjective)The attack of the MOOCs, passage=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 .}}
Usage notes
* Nouns to which "obsolete" is often applied: word, phrase, equipment, computer, technology, weapon, machine, law, statute, currency, building, idea, skill, concept, custom, theory, tradition, institution.Synonyms
* (no longer in use) ancient, antiquated, antique, archaic, disused, neglected, old, old-fashioned, out of date * abortive, obscure, rudimentalDerived terms
* obsoletenessVerb
(obsolet)Oxford DictionaryTo cause to become obsolete.
- This software component has been obsoleted .
- We are in the process of obsoleting this product.
