Make Your Point > Archived Issues > OBSOLESCENT
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pronounce
OBSOLESCENT:
Say it "OB suh LESS unt."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
When a word ends in "-escent," you can bet it means "becoming something."
For example, an adolescent is becoming an adult.
And, something ju___escent is becoming more youthful.
And, something ef____escent is becoming excited in a bubbly, lively way.
And, something ___escent is becoming quiet, or coming to a rest.
And something obsolescent? That's becoming obsolete.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
If you combine some Latin roots meaning "away" (ob) and "to use, to be accustomed to" (solere), you get obsoletus, meaning "worn out, or grown old."
This obsoletus gave us the English word "obsolete." Obsolete things are no longer used, no longer done: they're old, outdated, out of date.
And when something obsolesces, it becomes obsolete: it falls into disuse; it becomes old and outdated.
So, something obsolescent is in the process of becoming old, outdated, and no longer used. It's not totally gone yet--but it's on the way out.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech: adjective: "these obsolescent machines," "that technique is obsolescent."
Other forms: obsolesce, obsolesced, obsolescing; obsolescence; obsolescently
how to use it:
Talk about obsolescent tools, equipment, technologies, buildings, trends, fashions, genres, words, phrases, labels, methods, traditions, mindsets, and even people and groups, like political parties.
examples:
"Far from obsolescent, how hardy the ghost story proves as a vessel for collective terror and guilt, for the unspeakable."
— Parul Sehgal, New York Times, 22 October 2018
"The [dance course] was very thorough, covering much that was obsolescent, and a good deal that was definitely dead...Neale received instruction in the steps of the Polka, the Schottische, the Varsovienne. The two-step he really learned...and although he hated the waltz, he was forced by infinite repetition into mastering it."
— Dorothy Canfield, Rough-Hewn, 1922
has this page helped you understand "obsolescent"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "obsolescent" without saying "becoming less widespread" or "on its way out of fashion."
try it out:
In Scientific American, Edward Tenner lists three reasons why people stick with technology that's obsolescent and even obsolete: first, it's still functional (e.g., a fax machine); second, it's still appealing (e.g., a stick shift or a Polaroid camera); or third, it's still the only way to hang onto certain data (e.g., punch cards).
Taking these reasons into consideration, talk about an obsolescent tool, program, or product you still use, and why.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Subject Line Crosswords."
We'll revisit some of the email subject lines from 2019 issues, using them as a tool for recall.
Each day this month, see if you can complete the mini-crossword with words we studied last year. If you need extra clues, look below the puzzle to view definitions and parts of speech. And I'll share the answers in the following issue. Enjoy!
From the previous issue:
Extra clues:
ACROSS
1. noun meaning "a collected group of varied types of stuff"
3. adjective meaning "involving pointless, endless hard work"
DOWN
2. adjective meaning "stuffy, showy, scholarly, and overly fancy"
Answers:
If you like, you can review the words miscellanea, Sisyphean, and inkhorn.
Try this today:
Extra clues:
ACROSS
2. adjective meaning "friendly, with no hatred and no fighting"
3. verb meaning "to take away people's wrong ideas: to show them the truth, to teach them how things really are"
DOWN
1. adjective meaning "said only for social reasons (like a need to be polite, or a need to acknowledge someone's presence)"
review this word:
1. A near opposite of OBSOLESCENT is
A. CADENT (RHYTHMIC).
B. NASCENT (NEWLY EMERGING).
C. INCANDESCENT (BECOMING WARM AND BRIGHT).
2. Wikipedia defines "planned obsolescence" as "_____."
A. a policy of designing a product with an artificially limited useful life
B. a present decision to make a future gift, evidenced by a legal contract
C. a type of economic system where investment, production and the allocation of capital goods take place
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
When a word ends in "-escent," you can bet it means "becoming something." If you combine some Latin roots meaning "away" (ob) and "to use, to be accustomed to" (solere), you get obsoletus, meaning "worn out, or grown old."
Part of speech: adjective: "these obsolescent machines," "that technique is obsolescent."
Talk about obsolescent tools, equipment, technologies, buildings, trends, fashions, genres, words, phrases, labels, methods, traditions, mindsets, and even people and groups, like political parties.
"Far from obsolescent, how hardy the ghost story proves as a vessel for collective terror and guilt, for the unspeakable."
Explain the meaning of "obsolescent" without saying "becoming less widespread" or "on its way out of fashion."
In Scientific American, Edward Tenner lists three reasons why people stick with technology that's obsolescent and even obsolete: first, it's still functional (e.g., a fax machine); second, it's still appealing (e.g., a stick shift or a Polaroid camera); or third, it's still the only way to hang onto certain data (e.g., punch cards).
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Extra clues:
If you like, you can review the words miscellanea, Sisyphean, and inkhorn.
Extra clues:
1. A near opposite of OBSOLESCENT is
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. |