1
a
: having a reputation or authority based on length or proven quality of service
an old-line firm
b
: of established prestige and influence
old-line families
2
: adhering to traditional policies or practices : conservative

Examples of old-line in a Sentence

an old-line professor who still taught as if it were 1930
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
On the other hand, the old-line producers knew how to tap into the classic novels of Dickens or Steinbeck to spin out great stories with legendary stars. Peter Bart, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024 Overall, the result was a success story that old-line competitors couldn’t match. Bhopi Dhall and Saurajit Kanungo, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024 And without these old-line agencies bleeding taxpayers dry, New York will have funds to put these better alternatives in place. Richard Wexler, New York Daily News, 13 May 2024 Renowned for ancient churches and the tomb of Dante, the 14th-century poet, the city of Ravenna and its environs along Italy’s Adriatic coast are also home to old-line industries like steel and fertilizer. Stanley Reed, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024 Trump would also face a Congress less inclined to impose such constraints, having established ideological mastery of the Republican Party, whose old-line elites can no longer claim that his agenda is aberrant and must be resisted. Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2024 Of course, if old-line insurers have an awful year in cyber, other parts of their business could provide a cushion. Jeff Kauflin, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 In the early nineteenth century, old-line Southern élites, who profited from slavery and from exports of cotton, faced competition from Northern élites, who made their money in mining, railroads, and steel. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024 Initially, the old-line studios refused to license their wares to Netflix, invoking the specter of digital piracy. Peter Biskind, Fortune, 26 Dec. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of old-line was in 1803

Dictionary Entries Near old-line

Cite this Entry

“Old-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old-line. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

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!