supersede

Everyday

(formal) To supersede something is to take its place because it is newer or better, so the old thing is no longer used. tree →

In the lessons

In history and science lessons, new inventions supersede old ones (cars superseded horses and carts; e-books are not superseding paper books entirely). In law and rules, a new rule supersedes the old one. In science, a new theory may supersede an old one when evidence changes.

Examples

• Cars superseded horse-drawn carts. tree →
• The new timetable supersedes the old one. tree →
• Smartphones have superseded many cameras. tree →
• Electric lights superseded gas lamps. tree →
• Einstein's ideas did not throw out Newton's laws, but in some cases they superseded them. tree →
• The new rules supersede everything in last year's handbook. tree →
• Streaming has superseded DVDs for many families. tree →

Note

Famous spelling trap: supersede ends in -sede (not -cede like precede). Formal word; in everyday speech say "replace" or "take the place of".