Riepl's law

proper noun

The hypothesis that new forms of media never fully replace older ones, but rather the older forms find different ways or fields of use.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. The hypothesis that new forms of media never fully replace older ones, but rather the older forms find different ways or fields of use.

Origin

Formulated by Wolfgang Riepl in 1913.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Riepl's law. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Riepl's%20law

MLA

“Riepl's law.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Riepl's%20law. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Riepl's law,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Riepl's%20law.

Source: Riepl's law on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.