antiquated
gb/ˈæntɪkwˌeɪtɪd/ us/ˈæntɪkwˌeɪtɪd/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
C1
property
1
old-fashioned and out of date
Too old-fashioned to be useful now.
Usage pattern:
[something] is antiquated
Common mistake:
Don’t use it just to mean ‘old’; it usually means ‘outdated’ or ‘no longer appropriate’.
Synonyms
outdated (Emphasizes being past its useful time.)
|
old-fashioned (Often milder; focuses on style or taste.)
|
outmoded (Slightly more formal; emphasizes no longer in fashion.)
Antonyms
modern (Belonging to the present time.)
|
up-to-date (Current and recently updated.)
|
contemporary (Typical of the present period.)
Collocations
antiquated idea
|antiquated views
|antiquated attitudes
|antiquated system
|antiquated method
|antiquated technology
|antiquated approach
|antiquated equipment
|antiquated practices
|antiquated notions
Themes
society
|culture
|technology
|design
Examples
- The company replaced its antiquated computer system.
- Many people see those rules as antiquated and unfair.
- Using paper forms for everything feels antiquated now.
Learner examples
- This phone is antiquated.
- His ideas about work are antiquated.
adjective
C1
property
2
no longer used or practiced
Not used anymore because it is too old.
Usage pattern:
an antiquated [term/practice/device]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'antique' (valuable old object). 'Antiquated' is usually negative.
Synonyms
obsolete (Directly means ‘no longer used’; common for words/technology.)
|
defunct (Often for organizations or systems that no longer operate.)
Antonyms
current (In use now.)
|
in use (Actively used in practice.)
Collocations
antiquated term
|antiquated word
|antiquated expression
|antiquated custom
|antiquated practice
|antiquated procedure
|antiquated device
|antiquated machinery
|antiquated law
|antiquated regulation
Themes
language
|history
|daily_life
|technology
Examples
- The manual includes many antiquated terms that people don’t say anymore.
- They finally got rid of an antiquated procedure that slowed everything down.
- The museum displayed antiquated farming tools that are rarely seen today.
Learner examples
- That word is antiquated.
- This practice is antiquated now.
adjective
formal
C1
property
3
based on old conventions
Still used, but based on very old rules.
Usage pattern:
an antiquated [law/rule/structure]
Common mistake:
This sense doesn’t mean the thing has disappeared; it often means it survives but feels outdated.
Synonyms
archaic (Often stronger and more formal; suggests belonging to an earlier historical period.)
|
dated (Suggests it shows its age, but may still function.)
Antonyms
reformed (Changed to improve and modernize.)
|
streamlined (Made more efficient and modern in operation.)
Collocations
antiquated law
|antiquated rules
|antiquated regulations
|antiquated framework
|antiquated bureaucracy
|antiquated structure
|antiquated model
|antiquated institution
|antiquated policy
|antiquated hierarchy
Themes
law
|business
|government
|society
Examples
- Critics argue that the tax code is antiquated and needs reform.
- The policy is antiquated, but changing it will take years.
- They are trying to modernize an antiquated bureaucracy.
Learner examples
- This law is antiquated.
- They want to change the antiquated rules.
Grammar
Dictionary form
antiquated
IPA
GB/ˈæntɪkwˌeɪtɪd/
US/ˈæntɪkwˌeɪtɪd/
Syllables & stress
an - ti - quated (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (an)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: antiquated
Word family
Related words
antiquarian
noun
Negative and opposite forms
modern
adjective A2
contemporary
adjective B1
Advanced or less common
antiquate
verb
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.