deprecate
To officially declare a software feature or API obsolete and discourage its use, though it remains available for a limited time.
Deprecation is a warning phase. The feature still works, but developers are told to stop using it because it will be completely removed in a future update.
Word relationships
- phase out: Phasing out is a general business term for gradually removing something, while deprecate is the specific technical term for warning developers about obsolete code.
- recommend: To recommend a feature is to actively encourage its use as a best practice.
Commonly confused with
- obsolete: Deprecate means to discourage use of a feature before its eventual removal, while obsolete means it has already been completely retired or replaced.
Word family
- deprecation (noun): The state of being deprecated or the announcement of obsolescence.
Collocations
- deprecate a feature
- deprecated API
- officially deprecate
- mark as deprecated
Example sentences
- "We plan to deprecate the old authentication protocol in version 3.0 and remove it entirely in version 4.0." A developer documentation update notice.
Memory hook
Think of a 'depreciating' asset like a car losing value; a 'deprecated' feature is losing its usefulness and support. Pray against using this old code.
When not to use
Do not use deprecate if a feature has already been completely deleted; use 'retired' or 'removed' instead.
Fun facts
- Java was one of the first major programming languages to systematically use the '@deprecated' tag to warn developers about outdated methods directly in the code.
Explore more words
deprecated, obsolete, discontinue, sunset, obsolescence, deactivate
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