Dated

/ˈdeɪtɪd/

adjectiveIntermediate📊CommonTechnology
2 meanings3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

Belonging to a former time; no longer current or fashionable.

/ˈdeɪtɪd/

adjectivenegativeIntermediate
Technology

Belonging to a past time; old-fashioned

The music sounded dated, reflecting the tastes of a previous generation.

💡 Simply: Think of it like clothes that your grandma used to wear, or technology that's really slow compared to what we have now. It's old and not cool anymore!

👶 For kids: It means something is old and not new or cool anymore.

More Examples

2

The furniture in the room felt dated, and in need of a makeover.

3

Her fashion sense was considered dated by modern standards.

How It's Used

Fashion

"The dress had a dated style that was no longer in fashion."

Technology

"The software was considered dated due to its lack of modern features."

Art/Literature

"The author's style was dated, reflecting the conventions of a bygone era."

2

To mark (a document, letter, etc.) with a date.

/ˈdeɪtɪd/

verbneutralBeginner
General

To provide with a date.

The memo was dated for next Monday.

💡 Simply: Like writing the date on your homework or a letter, so people know when it was written or done.

👶 For kids: To put a date on something to show when it was made or happened.

More Examples

2

The painting was carefully dated by an art historian.

3

She dated the manuscript with the year it was written.

How It's Used

Documents

"The contract was dated July 15, 2023."

Letters/Correspondence

"The letter was dated at the top to indicate the time of writing."

Tip:Picture a stamp that imprints a date onto a document, showing when it was created.

Synonyms & Antonyms

From "date," referring to a point in time, + "-ed" (past participle suffix). The sense of being old or outmoded developed through association with things that were current at a specific past time.

The word 'dated' has been used to indicate something old or old-fashioned since the late 17th century, originating from the concept of assigning a date or time.

Memory tip

Imagine a calendar page that is torn off and discarded – it represents something no longer relevant or modern.

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
Original meaning

"to set a date"

dated designdated furnituredated technologydated material

Common misspellings

dateeddayted

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written