diff --git a/build.rs b/build.rs
index e432b63..80286bd 100644
--- a/build.rs
+++ b/build.rs
@@ -5,15 +5,21 @@ use std::path::Path;
 type StrResult<T> = Result<T, String>;
 
 /// A module of definitions.
-struct Module<'a>(Vec<(&'a str, Def<'a>)>);
+struct Module<'a>(Vec<(&'a str, Binding<'a>)>);
 
 impl<'a> Module<'a> {
-    fn new(mut list: Vec<(&'a str, Def<'a>)>) -> Self {
+    fn new(mut list: Vec<(&'a str, Binding<'a>)>) -> Self {
         list.sort_by_key(|&(name, _)| name);
         Self(list)
     }
 }
 
+/// A definition bound in a module, with metadata.
+struct Binding<'a> {
+    def: Def<'a>,
+    deprecation: Option<&'a str>,
+}
+
 /// A definition in a module.
 enum Def<'a> {
     Symbol(Symbol<'a>),
@@ -30,6 +36,7 @@ enum Symbol<'a> {
 #[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone)]
 enum Line<'a> {
     Blank,
+    Deprecated(&'a str),
     ModuleStart(&'a str),
     ModuleEnd,
     Symbol(&'a str, Option<char>),
@@ -91,7 +98,9 @@ fn tokenize(line: &str) -> StrResult<Line> {
         None => (line, None),
     };
 
-    Ok(if tail == Some("{") {
+    Ok(if head == "@deprecated:" {
+        Line::Deprecated(tail.ok_or("missing deprecation message")?.trim())
+    } else if tail == Some("{") {
         validate_ident(head)?;
         Line::ModuleStart(head)
     } else if head == "}" && tail.is_none() {
@@ -137,11 +146,18 @@ fn decode_char(text: &str) -> StrResult<char> {
 /// Turns a stream of lines into a list of definitions.
 fn parse<'a>(
     p: &mut Peekable<impl Iterator<Item = StrResult<Line<'a>>>>,
-) -> StrResult<Vec<(&'a str, Def<'a>)>> {
+) -> StrResult<Vec<(&'a str, Binding<'a>)>> {
     let mut defs = vec![];
+    let mut deprecation = None;
     loop {
         match p.next().transpose()? {
-            None | Some(Line::ModuleEnd) => break,
+            None | Some(Line::ModuleEnd) => {
+                if let Some(message) = deprecation {
+                    return Err(format!("dangling `@deprecated: {}`", message));
+                }
+                break;
+            }
+            Some(Line::Deprecated(message)) => deprecation = Some(message),
             Some(Line::Symbol(name, c)) => {
                 let mut variants = vec![];
                 while let Some(Line::Variant(name, c)) = p.peek().cloned().transpose()? {
@@ -159,11 +175,19 @@ fn parse<'a>(
                     Symbol::Single(c)
                 };
 
-                defs.push((name, Def::Symbol(symbol)));
+                defs.push((name, Binding { def: Def::Symbol(symbol), deprecation }));
+                deprecation = None;
             }
             Some(Line::ModuleStart(name)) => {
                 let module_defs = parse(p)?;
-                defs.push((name, Def::Module(Module::new(module_defs))));
+                defs.push((
+                    name,
+                    Binding {
+                        def: Def::Module(Module::new(module_defs)),
+                        deprecation,
+                    },
+                ));
+                deprecation = None;
             }
             other => return Err(format!("expected definition, found {other:?}")),
         }
@@ -174,9 +198,9 @@ fn parse<'a>(
 /// Encodes a `Module` into Rust code.
 fn encode(buf: &mut String, module: &Module) {
     buf.push_str("Module(&[");
-    for (name, def) in &module.0 {
-        write!(buf, "({name:?},").unwrap();
-        match def {
+    for (name, entry) in &module.0 {
+        write!(buf, "({name:?}, Binding {{ def: ").unwrap();
+        match &entry.def {
             Def::Module(module) => {
                 buf.push_str("Def::Module(");
                 encode(buf, module);
@@ -191,7 +215,7 @@ fn encode(buf: &mut String, module: &Module) {
                 buf.push_str(")");
             }
         }
-        buf.push_str("),");
+        write!(buf, ", deprecation: {:?} }}),", entry.deprecation).unwrap();
     }
     buf.push_str("])");
 }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index d541534..ae64ee1 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@ Human-friendly notation for Unicode symbols.
 */
 
 /// A module of definitions.
-#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
-pub struct Module(&'static [(&'static str, Def)]);
+#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone)]
+pub struct Module(&'static [(&'static str, Binding)]);
 
 impl Module {
-    /// Try to get a definition from the module.
-    pub fn get(&self, name: &str) -> Option<Def> {
+    /// Try to get a bound definition in the module.
+    pub fn get(&self, name: &str) -> Option<Binding> {
         self.0
             .binary_search_by_key(&name, |(k, _)| k)
             .ok()
@@ -16,13 +16,29 @@ impl Module {
     }
 
     /// Iterate over the module's definition.
-    pub fn iter(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = (&'static str, Def)> {
+    pub fn iter(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = (&'static str, Binding)> {
         self.0.iter().copied()
     }
 }
 
+/// A definition bound in a module, with metadata.
+#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone)]
+pub struct Binding {
+    /// The bound definition.
+    pub def: Def,
+    /// A deprecation message for the definition, if it is deprecated.
+    pub deprecation: Option<&'static str>,
+}
+
+impl Binding {
+    /// Create a new bound definition.
+    pub const fn new(definition: Def) -> Self {
+        Self { def: definition, deprecation: None }
+    }
+}
+
 /// A definition in a module.
-#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone)]
 pub enum Def {
     /// A symbol, potentially with modifiers.
     Symbol(Symbol),
@@ -31,7 +47,7 @@ pub enum Def {
 }
 
 /// A symbol, either a leaf or with modifiers.
-#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone)]
 pub enum Symbol {
     /// A symbol without modifiers.
     Single(char),
@@ -40,8 +56,10 @@ pub enum Symbol {
 }
 
 /// A module that contains the other top-level modules.
-pub const ROOT: Module =
-    Module(&[("emoji", Def::Module(EMOJI)), ("sym", Def::Module(SYM))]);
+pub const ROOT: Module = Module(&[
+    ("emoji", Binding::new(Def::Module(EMOJI))),
+    ("sym", Binding::new(Def::Module(SYM))),
+]);
 
 include!(concat!(env!("OUT_DIR"), "/out.rs"));
 
@@ -54,8 +72,8 @@ mod test {
         fn assert_sorted_recursively(root: Module) {
             assert!(root.0.is_sorted_by_key(|(k, _)| k));
 
-            for (_, def) in root.iter() {
-                if let Def::Module(module) = def {
+            for (_, entry) in root.iter() {
+                if let Def::Module(module) = entry.def {
                     assert_sorted_recursively(module)
                 }
             }