WordGarden.iooutdate
Pronunciation
UK
US
- /ˈaʊtˌdeɪt/
Meanings
Verb
to make something seem old-fashioned or no longer current
Beyond the definition
Imagine finding an old phone app that still opens, but looks like it belongs to another era. The design feels awkward, the features are behind, and newer apps do the job better. It hasn't vanished, but it no longer feels current.
To outdate something means to make it seem old, no longer current, or no longer useful because something newer has taken its place. It can apply to information ("This map is outdated"), technology ("Floppy disks are outdated"), or ideas ("Some of his views now seem outdated"). In real English, people most often use the adjective outdated rather than the verb outdate. The general idea is simple: the thing still exists, but time and change have pushed it behind.
The word "outdate" means to cause something to become old-fashioned, less useful, or no longer current because newer things, ideas, or information have replaced it. It carries the sense of being left behind by change. For example, new technology can outdate older devices, and fresh research can outdate earlier advice.
"Outdate" is a verb, but in everyday English the form people meet far more often is outdated, used as an adjective. We naturally say, "This information is outdated," "That system is outdated," or "The style looks outdated." The plain verb outdate is correct, but it is less common and can sound formal or slightly unusual in normal conversation. Because of that, learners should recognize the verb, while expecting to see outdated much more often.
It helps to separate outdated from simply old. Something can be old and still useful, respected, or beautiful. A wooden table from 1920 may be old, but not outdated. A train schedule from last year, on the other hand, may be outdated because the details are no longer right. So the word usually points not just to age, but to lost relevance or usefulness.
You'll often see this word in contexts like technology, information, teaching materials, rules, habits, and social attitudes. Software becomes outdated when better versions appear. Facts become outdated when new data arrives. Methods become outdated when people find faster or clearer ways to do the same job. In that sense, the word tells a small story about time: something that once fit the moment no longer does.
Examples
- 1
Software updates
New software can outdate a user guide in just a few months.
- 2
Workplace rules
The new safety rules outdate several pages of the employee handbook.
- 3
Fashion
Some fashion trends outdate old photos almost immediately.
- 4
Research findings
Later research has outdated many of the report’s conclusions.
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- outdate