Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Retired or ineffective because of advanced age.
  • adjective Outmoded; obsolete.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Obsolete, antiquated.
  • adjective Retired or discarded due to age.
  • verb Simple past tense and past participle of superannuate.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective too old to be useful
  • adjective old; no longer valid or fashionable

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Medieval Latin superannuātus, over one year old : Latin super-, super- + Latin annus, year; see at- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the Latin superannuatus ("more than one year old"), from super ("over") (English super-) + annus ("year") (English annual).

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Examples

  • The AARP, self-styled lobby for the superannuated, is trying to rally oldsters behind ObamaCare.

    'Terrifying Numbers for Democrats' James Taranto 2010

  • There was a black barge, or some other kind of superannuated boat, not far off, high and dry on the ground, with an iron funnel sticking out of it for a chimney and smoking very cosily; but nothing else in the way of a habitation that was visible to me.

    David Copperfield 2007

  • On August 5, 1803, Alexander was pensioned as "superannuated" by the board, and retired on an allowance of £677 a year (Irish money), but continued to live in Dublin, until sometime before 1810, when he removed to Inveresk, Scotland.

    Journal of a Lady of Quality; Being the Narrative of a Journey from Scotland to the West Indies, North Carolina, and Portugal, in the Years 1774 to 1776 1920

  • There was a black barge, or some other kind of superannuated boat, not far off, high and dry on the ground, with an iron funnel sticking out of it for a chimney and smoking very cosily; but nothing else in the way of a habitation that was visible to me.

    III. I Have a Change 1917

  • There was a black barge, or some other kind of superannuated boat, not far off, high and dry on the ground, with an iron funnel sticking out of it for a chimney and smoking very cosily; but nothing else in the way of a habitation that was visible to me.

    David Copperfield Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870 1917

  • Could His poor, feeble, "superannuated" old servant ever speak the message that needed to be spoken that night?

    On Christmas Day In The Evening 1912

  • [39] Mordaunt Ricketts was Resident at Lucknow between 1821 and 1830, when he was 'superannuated' owing to financial scandals, for the details of which see Sir G. Trevelyan, _Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay_, cap.

    Observations on the Mussulmauns of India Descriptive of Their Manners, Customs, Habits and Religious Opinions Made During a Twelve Years' Residence in Their Immediate Society Mrs. Meer Hasan Ali 1885

  • There was a black barge, or some other kind of superannuated boat, not far off, high and dry on the ground, with an iron funnel sticking out of it for a chimney and smoking very cosily; but nothing else in the way of a habitation that was visible to me.

    David Copperfield 1850

  • There was a black barge, or some other kind of superannuated boat, not far off, high and dry on the ground, with an iron funnel sticking out of it for a chimney and smoking very cosily; but nothing else in the way of a habitation that was visible to me.

    David Copperfield Charles Dickens 1841

  • "Your wife, what is she?" said Sarcus the rich, one day, when unable to digest the fatal word "superannuated," applied to a piece of furniture he had just bought at a bargain.

    Sons of the Soil Honor�� de Balzac 1824

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