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

Adjective an elegant, old-fashioned bun that was held in place with pearl hairpins I'm so old-fashioned that I actually think people should use standard grammar and punctuation when composing e-mails
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Seating just 18 diners, the somewhat old-fashioned establishment is open only at lunchtime on weekdays, takes cash only, sells books, and reservations must be made by phone – or postcard. Richard Windsor, theweek, 20 Nov. 2024 Perhaps not coincidentally, by the time the first season ended, Tulsa King had become less of a lighthearted dramedy — about an old-fashioned New York crime boss way out of his element — and more of a conventional crime drama with betrayals, gunfights, and brooding regrets. Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 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 See all Example Sentences for old-fashioned 

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 27 Nov. 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!