have been obsoleted

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "have been obsoleted" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is no longer in use or has been replaced by something newer or more effective. Example: "With the advent of smartphones, many traditional cameras have been obsoleted."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

So it must hire anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists -- anyone who can look beyond the half-life of behaviors that have been obsoleted by technology, and can discern what the value of prints will now be.

The New York Times

Almost all changes are backward-compatible as schema3 is more forgiving than schema2.4; a few elements contained mixed content and have been obsoleted (annotation, appinfo, documentation, relatedEntry).

Journal of Cheminformatics

Leader cable systems appear to have been obsoleted by the refinement of radio direction finding and the placement of radio beacons (low-power radios broadcasting an identifiable signal) at strategic locations.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

"The 40-footers have been obsolete since the 70's," Mr. Carlson said.

The New York Times

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

"Events and technology moved so quickly during the late 1930s and 40s that both were thought to have been obsolete before they'd seen action.

BBC

Obsolete item she can't bear to part with: Everything I have is obsolete.

The New York Times - Magazine

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

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "have been obsoleted", ensure the context clearly indicates what has caused the obsolescence. For example, "Many older technologies have been obsoleted by the rapid advancements in AI."

Common error

Avoid using "have been obsoleted" when you mean something is simply old or outdated. "Obsoleted" implies an active force or replacement, not just the passage of time. For example, instead of "My skills have been obsoleted," consider "My skills have become outdated."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "have been obsoleted" functions as a passive voice construction, indicating that something has undergone the process of becoming obsolete due to an external factor. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "have been obsoleted" is a grammatically correct but relatively uncommon way to express that something has been made obsolete or outdated. According to Ludwig AI, it follows standard grammar rules. It's most frequently found in contexts related to news and media, science, and wiki sources. While acceptable, more common alternatives like "have become obsolete" or "have become outdated" might be preferred for broader clarity. When using "have been obsoleted", ensure the context clearly specifies what caused the obsolescence.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

have become obsolete

Replaces 'obsoleted' with 'obsolete', a more common adjective form.

have been superseded

Emphasizes replacement by something superior or more current.

have been outdated

Focuses on the dated or old-fashioned nature of something.

have been replaced

Highlights the action of being substituted by something else.

are no longer in use

States directly that something is not currently being used.

have fallen into disuse

Indicates a gradual abandonment or neglect of something.

have been rendered useless

Suggests something has become ineffective or unusable.

have become defunct

Implies something is no longer functioning or in existence.

have passed their prime

Indicates something was once useful but is now past its best.

are a thing of the past

Expresses that something belongs to a previous time period.

FAQs

How can I use "have been obsoleted" in a sentence?

Use "have been obsoleted" to indicate that something has been replaced by something newer or more effective. For instance, "Many traditional cameras "have been obsoleted" by smartphones."

What is a good alternative to "have been obsoleted"?

Alternatives include "have become obsolete", "have been superseded", or "have become outdated", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "have been obsoleted" or "have become obsolete"?

"Have become obsolete" is generally more common and widely understood. "Have been obsoleted" is grammatically correct but less frequently used; it emphasizes the act of making something obsolete.

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

It means that something is no longer useful or relevant because something newer or better has taken its place. It implies a process of being made obsolete, rather than simply becoming outdated.