Definition

Adjective: 1. No longer fashionable or in style: Describes something, especially clothing, ideas, or technology, that is considered old-fashioned and not in current use or popularity. 2. Obsolete or outdated: Refers to methods, systems, or practices that have been replaced by newer, more efficient, or more effective ones.

Usage

The adjective "outmoded" is used to describe objects, concepts, or practices that are perceived as belonging to the past. It carries a negative connotation, suggesting that the thing described is not just old, but also inferior, inefficient, or irrelevant compared to modern alternatives. It is often used in formal or critical contexts.

Examples

• Describing objects or style:
  • The factory still uses outmoded machinery from the 1950s.
  • Her outmoded views on gender roles were met with criticism.
• Describing ideas or systems:
  • Many consider the country's electoral system to be outmoded and in need of reform.
  • The textbook presents an outmoded theory that has since been disproven.

Advanced Usage

• "to render something outmoded": to cause something to become obsolete.
  • The invention of the smartphone rendered many standalone devices, like basic MP3 players, outmoded.
• "hopelessly outmoded": an intensifier emphasizing how completely outdated something is.
  • The software's interface is hopelessly outmoded and difficult for new users to navigate.

Variants and Related Words

• Outmode (verb, rare): To make something outmoded.
  • Technological progress can quickly outmode last year's models.

Synonyms

• Obsolete: No longer produced or used; out of date.
• Antiquated: Old-fashioned or outdated, especially in a way that is no longer suitable.
• Archaic: Very old or old-fashioned, often used for language or customs.
• Dated: Showing the age or period when something was created, often in style.
• Passé: No longer fashionable; out of date (from French).

Antonyms

• Modern
• Contemporary
• Current
• Up-to-date
• State-of-the-art

Idioms and Common Phrases

• To be consigned to the outmoded bin (figurative): To be discarded or considered useless because it is outdated.
  • With the rise of digital art, some feared traditional painting techniques would be consigned to the outmoded bin.

Adjective

1. out of fashion
   • a suit of rather antique appearance
   • demode (or outmoded) attire
   • outmoded ideas