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Out of date: meaning, examples and practice

Out of date means outdated or expired. Why not actual is the wrong word for old information, and when people say old-fashioned instead of out of date.

Out of date means outdated or no longer valid. About information, maps, technology and views, it means they're old and no longer useful. About a passport, visa or ticket, it means the document has expired, and in British English it can also mean that food is past its use-by date. Before a noun, it takes hyphens: an out-of-date map.

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be/get out of date; an out-of-date + map/passport/app; opposite: up to date

  • The map in the hotel lobby was out of date, so we couldn't find the new metro station.
  • You can't board a plane with an out-of-date passport, even for a short trip.
  • Some statistics in this textbook are out of date, so check the latest figures online.

What changed

First versionThe price list on the website is not actual.

RevisionThe price list on the website is out of date.

Not actual can seem like a way to say “no longer current”, but actual means real or factual: the actual price is the real price. A price list that needs updating is out of date.

Cambridge Dictionary

The opposite is up to date, meaning current. With information, people often say get out of date, meaning to become outdated, and keep something up to date, meaning to update it regularly: Guidebooks get out of date quickly, so I keep my travel apps up to date.

Your turn

I can't travel next month because my passport is ___ and I haven't renewed it yet.

(out of date / old-fashioned)

Show the answer

out of date — The passport has expired, so it's out of date. Old-fashioned means no longer in fashion: it's used about style, things and views, not about a document that is no longer valid.

Write about something you have, or some information you use, that has become outdated. Say what it is and what you're going to do about it.

My CV is out of date because it doesn't mention my last job, so I'm going to update it this weekend.

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