dated

Dated is the past participle of the verb date and also an adjective with two common meanings. As a verb, to date something is to determine or assign its age or its calendar date. As an adjective, dated can describe something that has a specific date on it, or something that is no longer current or fashionable.

The sense that refers to marking a time arises from the act of dating documents, artifacts, or events. The distinction between dated and outdated is nuanced: dated often simply indicates age and may carry neutral or nostalgic connotations, whereas outdated tends to imply that something has fallen behind current standards or expectations.

Applications include records and documentation, where a date establishes provenance and chronology. A report may be described as dated if it bears a particular year or day. In culture and media, a film, fashion, or technology can be described as dated when its style evokes a past era; this can imply charm or obsolescence, depending on context.

Other uses involve dating in scientific contexts, where researchers determine the age of artifacts, fossils, or geological samples. In social language, “dated” can refer to a past dating event or, less commonly, to someone who is in a romantic relationship. The term appears across editing, journalism, and historical writing to convey temporal context.

See also: date (time), outdated, chronology.