old-school

1 of 2

adjective

ˈōl(d)-ˌskül 

1

: adhering to traditional policies or practices

an old-school coach

2

: characteristic or evocative of an earlier or original style, manner, or form

old-school music

old school

2 of 2

noun

: adherents of traditional policies and practices

Synonyms

Adjective

• antique
• old-fashioned
• old-time
• old-timey
• old-world
• oldfangled
• quaint
• retro
• retrograde
• vintage

Examples of old-school in a Sentence

Adjective

an old-school romantic comedy in which the two leads don't jump into bed at the first opportunity

an old-school gentleman who opened doors and pulled out chairs for women

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Get The Recipe 20 of 30 Banana Cream Pie Learn how to make this old-school diner dessert with almost as much panache as those waitresses in roller skates. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 6 Jan. 2025

Chatty newsletters, wordy Substacks and quirky TikTok videos and Instagram stories rely more heavily on personality and emotion than do their TV and old-school print counterparts. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 6 Jan. 2025

Bill Self got back to his old-school ways, making sure to pound it in the paint with post pins, rolls and drives. —Cj Moore, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025

But even for an old-school value investor like me, that kind of upside is too compelling to pass up. —Taesik Yoon, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1749, in the meaning defined above