old-fashioned

1 of 2

adjective

old-fash·​ioned ˈōl(d)-ˈfa-shənd How to pronounce old-fashioned (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a past era
wears an old-fashioned black bow tieGreen Peyton
b
: adhering to customs of a past era
2
old-fashionedly adverb
old-fashionedness noun

old-fashioned

2 of 2

noun

: a cocktail usually made with whiskey, bitters, sugar, a twist of lemon peel, and a small amount of water or soda

Examples of old-fashioned in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Located in the heart of downtown on Murphy Avenue, the old-fashioned Irish pub serves authentic meals and craft beers to locals. Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 And the way to get there turns out to be an old-fashioned staple of the bathroom cabinet. Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024 While pushing ever forward, at the end of the day, Bey's just a good, old-fashioned entertainer, throwing fistfuls of razzle and dazzle our way. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2024 The sprawling, meticulously worked out plotting can seem ploddingly old-fashioned. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 The old-fashioned impatiens need more shade (dappled shade all day or morning sunlight work well) while SunPatiens can be grown in full sun. Marissa Wu, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2024 That’s a whole other thing among musicians whose old-fashioned work credo seems to be: more rock, less talk. Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, Pineda continues to make money the old-fashioned way. Cedar Attanasio, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024 The scenic riverfront is speckled with old-fashioned candy shops (pralines and salt water taffy, anyone?), cozy bookstores, and whimsical boutiques. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024
Noun
Its problem stemmed from an old-fashioned maturity mismatch between assets (such as loans and securities) and liabilities (such as deposits). Kathleen Pender, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Mar. 2023 The results, plotted on the monitors next door, looked a bit like old-fashioned sing-alongs: follow the bouncing ball. Burkhard Bilger, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023 However The Reporter Wants To Communicate While email is my primary means of starting a relationship with a reporter, that relationship can move to Twitter, text or an old-fashioned phone call. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023 The shift to digital payments also accelerated during the pandemic, leading stores to replace old-fashioned cash tip jars with tablet touch screens. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 25 Mar. 2023 Director Michael Wainstein has cast his show with faces that radiate optimism in the best old-fashioned musical style. Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2023 Also called Butterfly roses, Mutabilis is just one of the tough modern and old-fashioned roses. Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, 24 Mar. 2023 Instead of an old-fashioned announcement or an Instagram post, however, the pair chose to reveal the news in true pop star style. Alberto Sisí Sánchez, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2023 The menu is huge and offers everything from butter horns to cheese fondue to old-fashioned pressure cooker fried chicken. Jevensen, oregonlive, 21 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'old-fashioned.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of old-fashioned was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near old-fashioned

Cite this Entry

“Old-fashioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old-fashioned. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

old-fashioned

adjective
old-fash·​ioned
ˈōl(d)-ˈfash-ənd
1
: of, relating to, or like that of an earlier time
old-fashioned clothes
2
: holding fast to old ways : conservative

More from Merriam-Webster on old-fashioned

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!