planned obsolescence

American  

noun

1. a method of stimulating consumer demand by designing products that wear out or become outmoded after limited use.

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planned obsolescence British  

noun

1. Also called: built-in obsolescence.  the policy of deliberately limiting the life of a product in order to encourage the purchaser to replace it

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planned obsolescence Cultural  

1. Incorporating into a product features that will almost certainly go out of favor in a short time, thereby inducing the consumer to purchase a new model of the product. Placing sweeping tail fins on an automobile was an example of planned obsolescence.

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Etymology

Origin of planned obsolescence

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

But there’s a grayer, graver tone to the long shadows of “La Grazia,” as if the natural, appealing gravitas of Servillo playing an important man fighting a planned obsolescence was the only palette Sorrentino and cinematographer Daria D’Antonio needed.

From Los Angeles Times

The EU's consumer strategy presented on Wednesday seeks to promote sustainable consumption and prevent planned obsolescence, which is when companies programme products to become out of date after a certain period.

From Barron's

Planned obsolescence may be the reality of modern home gadgets, but a little TLC can go a long way.

From Salon

Because he collects and dissects so many discarded and auctioned-off laptops and phones, he has a unique vantage point on the wasteful effects of planned obsolescence and technology addiction.

From New York Times

Plastics helped make that possible, but so do dastardly corporate strategies like “planned obsolescence” that phase out your iPhone so you have to buy a new one.

From Seattle Times