has been obsolete

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence "has been obsolete" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express that something is no longer in use, out of date, or outdated. For example: "This type of technology has been obsolete for years now."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Their sole task is to protect artillery, the guns of the title, from the Russians; it turns out said artillery has been obsolete for at least a decade.

The New York Times

Re "The Hidden Costs of Higher Ed," by Noah S. Bernstein (Op-Ed, Aug. 22): The main cost drivers in higher education are not the outsourcing of tuition management or the prepayment of tuition by wealthy families but the fact that its business model has been obsolete for decades.

The New York Times

It was five in the morning, and that is when, once or twice a decade, Steven Josefsberg, an ex-cop and the vice-president of operations at the Downtown Alliance, makes deliveries of paper shreddings to lower Broadway, in lieu of ticker tape, which has been obsolete since the sixties.

The New Yorker

In 2009, when the Yankees last made one of their habitual visits to the famed route, Ian Parker wrote a Talk story about preparations for the event: Steven Josefsberg, an ex-cop and the vice-president of operations at the Downtown Alliance, makes deliveries of paper shreddings to lower Broadway, in lieu of ticker tape, which has been obsolete since the sixties.

The New Yorker

Unfortunately, the application is only compatible with phones running the 1.1.4 firmware, which has been obsolete for nearly a month since the introduction of the Apple App Store.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Daniele watches his sister Marina patiently restore the dahlias as he thinks, we are unreal & have been obsolete since Facism.

The New Yorker

They also said the law would have been obsolete in a few years anyway, because of technological advances that are expected to make scrambling universally effective.

The New York Times

But the tanks have been obsolete and empty for years, and rather than pay to keep them up, the utility, now known as KeySpan Energy, has decided to knock them down.

The New York Times

Gideon Gono, governor of the central bank, said the new currency would begin to circulate on Friday with bills of 500 Zimbabwean dollars; he also said he would reintroduce coins, which have been obsolete for years.

The New York Times

"Picking winners", the old delusion of British industrial policy, may have been obsolete, but if managers picked the winners for you, that made it all right.Since Gordon Brown, Labour's chancellor of the exchequer, took up his post in 1997, every one of his annual budgets has included an array of tax breaks and other incentives for particular industries.

The Economist

The best aircraft that the ZNDH could put up to defend its homeland at the end of 1943 were 20 Morane-Saulnier M.S.406s, 10 Fiat G.50s, six Fiat CR.42s, five Avia BH-33s and two Ikarus IK-2 fighters – aircraft that had been obsolete in 1940.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "has been obsolete" to clearly indicate when a technology, practice, or idea is no longer current or effective due to newer developments or changing circumstances.

Common error

While "has been obsolete" is accurate, avoid using it excessively. Sometimes, simpler phrases like "is outdated" or "is no longer used" can be more concise and impactful.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "has been obsolete" functions as a predicate adjective, describing a subject as being outdated or no longer in use. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically sound and effectively conveys that something's utility or relevance has passed.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "has been obsolete" is a grammatically correct way to express that something is no longer current or useful, as verified by Ludwig AI. It is most commonly found in news and media, science, and encyclopedic contexts. While relatively uncommon, it's a clear and direct way to convey that an item, technology, or practice is outdated. When writing, remember to consider if simpler alternatives, like "is outdated" or "is no longer used", might be more suitable for your intended audience. The phrase's authoritative presence in sources like The New York Times and The Guardian solidifies its acceptability in formal and neutral registers.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is out of date

Expresses a similar meaning by focusing on the lack of currency.

is outdated

Similar meaning emphasizing the lack of modern relevance.

is no longer used

Focuses on the cessation of use.

is superseded

Highlights replacement by something newer.

is antiquated

Highlights that something is old and no longer suitable for modern use.

is outmoded

Indicates a lack of modern style or effectiveness.

is defunct

Indicates that something is no longer functioning or in existence.

is passé

Suggests something is no longer fashionable or stylish.

is anachronistic

Points out that something is out of place in the present time.

is a thing of the past

Emphasizes that something belongs to a previous time.

FAQs

What does it mean when something "has been obsolete"?

When something "has been obsolete", it means it is no longer in use because it is out of date or has been replaced by something newer and more effective.

What can I say instead of "has been obsolete"?

You can use alternatives like "is out of date", "is outdated", or "is no longer used", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "had been obsolete" instead of "has been obsolete"?

Yes, "had been obsolete" is correct. Use "had been obsolete" when referring to something that was obsolete at a point in the past, while "has been obsolete" refers to something obsolete from the past until now.

What's the difference between "has been obsolete" and "is becoming obsolete"?

"Has been obsolete" means something is already no longer in use, while "is becoming obsolete" suggests something is gradually losing its relevance but is not entirely unused yet.