vintage

1 of 2

noun

vin·​tage ˈvin-tij 

1

a(1)

: a season's yield of grapes or wine from a vineyard

(2)

: wine

especially : a usually superior wine all or most of which comes from a single year

b

: a collection of contemporaneous and similar persons or things : crop

2

: the act or time of harvesting grapes or making wine

3

a

: a period of origin or manufacture

a piano of 1845 vintage

b

: length of existence : age

vintage

2 of 2

adjective

1

of wine : of, relating to, or produced in a particular vintage

2

: of old, recognized, and enduring interest, importance, or quality : classic

3

a

: dating from the past : old

b

: outmoded, old-fashioned

4

: of the best and most characteristic

—used with a proper noun

vintage Shaw: a wise and winning comedy

—Time

Synonyms

Adjective

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

Examples of vintage in a Sentence

Noun

a piano of 1845 vintage

Adjective

the designer's bracelets and necklaces have the vintage look of jewelry from the 1920s

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

London’s Portobello Road features vintage markets with rare artifacts, while Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar offers Ottoman-era treasures. —Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024

Families can attend their famous weekly clambakes, take a ride on the vintage fire truck, go fishing, play foosball or life-size chess, run amuck on the playground, or take a splash in one of two outdoor heated pools. —Esther Carlstone, Parents, 18 Dec. 2024

Adjective

The group’s use of a vintage 1910 piano added another layer of texture. —Tiana Denicola, Variety, 21 Dec. 2024

Much attention was paid to the choice of vintage glass lighting fixtures, a nod to the long history of glassmaking here. —Valentina Raggi, Architectural Digest, 21 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, probably alteration of vendage, from Anglo-French vendage, vendenge, from Latin vindemia grape-gathering, vintage, from vinum wine, grapes + demere to take off, from de- + emere to take — more at wine, redeem

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adjective

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing vintage

• vintage year

Kids Definition

vintage

noun

vin·​tage

ˈvint-ij

1

a

: the grapes or wine produced during one season

b

: wine entry 1 sense 1

2

: a period in which something was made or was begun

a violin of 1820 vintage

vintage adjective

Etymology

Noun

Middle English vintage, an altered form of vendage "the grapes picked during a season," from early French vendage, vendenge (same meaning), from Latin vindemia (same meaning), from vinum "wine, grapes" and demere "to take off" — related to vine, vinegar