desuetude
Part of speech: noun
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Late Middle English desuetude, dissuetude (“discontinuance of a practice, disuse”), from Middle French désuétude (“obsolescence”) (modern French désuétude), from Latin dēsuētūdo (“discontinuance of a practice or a habit, disuse”), from dēsuētus + -tūdō (“suffix forming abstract nouns indicating conditions or states”). Dēsuētus is the perfect passive participle of dēsuēscō (“to make unaccustomed”), from de- (prefix having a reversing or undoing effect) + suēscō (“to become accustomed or used to; (Late Latin) to accustom, habituate, train”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swé (“self”) + *dʰeh₁- (“to do; to place, put”), in the sense “to set as one’s own”).
Inflected forms:
form: desuetudes
pos: noun
tags: plural
Senses:
gloss: The state when something (for example, a custom or a law) is no longer observed nor practised; disuse, obsolescence.
pos: noun
tags: formal
uncountable
examples: And they being in a capacity to forget by reaſon of deſuetude, it will be a nevv pleaſure to them to recall to minde their almoſt obliterate ſpeculations.
For whatſoever is derived from the law of God cannot by men admit variety, nor ſuffer diminution, or goe into deſuetude, or be extinguiſh'd by abrogation: […]
We ſee in all things how deſuetude do's contract and narrow our faculties, ſo that we may apprehend only thoſe things wherein we are converſant.
Yet ſome of the Privileges [of soldiers] I have mentioned, can certainly take no Place at this Day in any European Nation; ſince they wholly depend upon ſome Roman Conſtitutions and Cuſtoms, that are now every where gone into Deſuetude.
There is no doubt that, by the law of Scotland, an act of parliament may be repealed by deſuetude, or by contrary uſage; but as this is founded on an idea of general aſſent, it is evident that the deſuetude which is to operate as a repeal of a general regulation, muſt itſelf be general; […]
[W]e of the house of Ravenswood do our endeavour in keeping up, by all just and lawful exertion of our baronial authority, that due and fitting connexion betwixt superior and vassal, whilk is in some danger of falling into desuetude, owing to the general license and misrule of these present unhappy times.
These are thing to make modern agriculturists hold up their hands and stare; but the same mode of cultivation is not yet entirely in desuetude in some distant parts of North Britain, and may be witnessed in full force and exercise in the Zetland Archipelago.
The history of Christian doctrine proves that, just as the snake in growing a new skin sloughs off the old, so the Christian consciousness picks its way forward through every narrowing and imprisoning theological construction, breaking its adhesive power and sloughing it off into desuetude.
The alleged desuetude of the 'Page 1000' arrangement did not however manifest itself in any significant change in the commercial policy of Solvay or ICI in the soda-ash sector, either in 1962 or at any later stage.
[T]he main idea underpinning desuetude is the termination of treaties by virtue of the passing of a considerable lapse of time during which the treaty is not applied by the treaty parties.
A host of considerations supported Smisek's claim that she had been wrongly prosecuted: the fornication law had not been enforced for years even though violations had been frequent (desuetude); only teenage offenders were not being charge (denial of equal protection); her medical condition was the basis of the state's claim as other sexually active teenagers who did not become pregnant and sexually active adults were not prosecuted (lack of notice and procedural unfairness).
gloss: The state when something (for example, a custom or a law) is no longer observed nor practised; disuse, obsolescence.
pos: noun
tags: countable
formal
examples: Owing, I will believe, to Fred's sudden flurry in the unprovided moment,—unprovided, by reason of prior desuetudes and discouragements to speech, on Papa's side.
The spirit of that little school is wholly incompatible [with those] who cling to obsolete opinions and customs, and seem to be enamoured with the desuetudes of older times as such, and praising their own former times as vehemently is if they would sell them.
He was an interesting young man and Sir Leonard had been delighted to make the acquaintance of one so authentically (he supposed) of the latest generation. But as a resident colleague amid the undeniably irritating deprivations, inefficiencies, and desuetudes of Great Musters, he frankly left something to be desired.
gloss: Chiefly followed by from or of: a cessation of practising or using something.
pos: noun
tags: countable
formal
obsolete
examples: [T]he beſt Chriſtians, and (vvitneſs David) the greateſt Proficients in Scripture-Knovvledge, have the keeneſt Stomacks to this Food of Souls; and the vigorouſeſt Piety, by a Deſuetude and Neglect of it, is ſubject to Faint and Pine avvay.
Again, ſome Countries were benè morati, well diſciplined in Learning, Arts, and Knowledge, but poſſibly by the Irruption of numerous Armies of Barbarous People, thoſe Countries were quickly over-grown with Barbariſm and deſuetude from their former Civility and Knowledge, and degenerated into the Ignorance and Barbariſm of their Conquerors; ſo that in a reaſonable Period of time much of their ancient Knowledge and Arts was forgotten, as if they never had it.
Related words: desuete
Translations:
lang: Bulgarian
word: неупотреба
roman: neupotreba
lang: Bulgarian
word: отживялост
roman: otživjalost
lang: Catalan
word: desuetud
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 廢止 /废止
roman: fèizhǐ
lang: Dutch
word: onbruik
lang: Finnish
word: käytöstä poistuminen
lang: French
word: désuétude
lang: French
word: abandon
lang: French
word: oubli
lang: Galician
word: desuetude
lang: Ido
word: obsoleteso
lang: Italian
word: desuetudine
lang: Italian
word: disuso
lang: Japanese
word: 廃止
roman: haishi
lang: Polish
word: desuetudo
lang: Portuguese
word: dessuetude
lang: Portuguese
word: desuso
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: mì-fheumalachd
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: одвика
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: odvika
lang: Sicilian
word: disutùdini
lang: Sicilian
word: disusu
lang: Spanish
word: desuetud
lang: Spanish
word: desuso