1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of an earlier period
old-time songs
2
: of long standing
old-time residents

Examples of old-time in a Sentence

an old-time song that took the long-married couple back to when they were first dating
Recent Examples on the Web So did the Colored Waifs’ Home and the widow of an old-time musician who got $50 a week for years. Larry Tye, Fortune, 4 May 2024 The old-time Sicilians would take grapes by the pound or tonnage and field blend them, in other words, sangiovese, merlot, moscato, crush and de-stem all the grapes together and ferment together. ... Kristine M. Kierzek, Journal Sentinel, 3 May 2024 Dillon’s score recreates styles from the era, including old-time string music, Piedmont blues and African-American gospel. Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 25 Apr. 2024 There is definitely an old-time Saturday-morning cartoon aspect to the action and violence, and Boy’s inner monologue filtered through Benjamin makes that connection even stronger. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024 Joe Thompson, then 86, was an old-time fiddler and a proponent of Black string band music. Janay Kingsberry, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 But now, the possibilities also include B&B Butchers, Bricks & Horses, Clay Pigeon, Don Artemio, Le Margot or 61 Osteria, plus old-time favorite Saint-Émilion. Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2024 The wooden pews in the Ryman are much less amenable to concert-goers’ backsides than the old-time preacher man’s words were for the congregation’s insides. Tom Roland, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2024 Lavine said that while the stores may have more modern amenities, such as lavish lights, more high-tech security and web retail options, owners still follow a lot of the old-time traditions of working with customers to find the right item and, more importantly, a bargain. Malka Abramoff, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'old-time.' 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

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of old-time was in 1824

Dictionary Entries Near old-time

Cite this Entry

“Old-time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old-time. Accessed 16 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

old-time

adjective
ˌōl(d)-ˌtīm
1
: of, relating to, or typical of an earlier period
2
: of long standing
old-time residents

More from Merriam-Webster on old-time

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