Meaning & use
antiquated
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
So old or old-fashioned that it no longer works well or suits modern life.
Grammar: Goes before a noun or after be: antiquated rules, the system is antiquated.
The office still uses an antiquated filing system.
Critics called the law antiquated and unfair.
Antiquated computers slowed the whole school down.
Word forms
| comparative | more antiquated |
|---|---|
| superlative | most antiquated |
Common combinations
- antiquated equipment
- Antiquated equipment caused frequent breakdowns.
- antiquated laws
- Many antiquated laws were removed last year.
- antiquated notion
- That is an antiquated notion of how families work.
- antiquated system
- The antiquated system could not handle the volume.
- seem antiquated
- Paper forms seem antiquated to younger staff.
Synonyms and how they differ
- outdated
- Outdated is the common everyday word, while antiquated suggests something is so old it is almost laughable.
- obsolete
- Obsolete means no longer used at all, whereas antiquated things may still be in use.
- old-fashioned
- Old-fashioned can be mild or even affectionate, but antiquated is clearly critical.
- archaic
- Archaic suggests belonging to an earlier historical period, especially for language, while antiquated is about practical usefulness.
Opposites
Word family
- antique noun
- an old object valued for its age
- antiquity noun
- ancient times
- antiquarian noun
- a person who collects or studies old things
- antiquate verb
- to make obsolete, a rare word
Commonly confused: antiquated or antique?
antiquated vs antique
An antique is valued for its age, while antiquated is a criticism of something too old to be useful.
Practice
Which choice best completes the sentence? The company replaced its ____ phone system with a modern one.
Choose one answer.
Antiquated describes something old enough to be inefficient, which is why it is replaced. Antique and vintage suggest value from age, so they do not fit as well.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “antiquated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.