new-world

1 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the New World
Snatches and scraps of old-world philosophies and new-world ethics floated through his mind …Jack London
New-world visitors accustomed to sedate, 55-mile-an-hour speed limits, lane discipline, and courtly driving may be genuinely astonished at old-world ways, especially when they're struggling with a stick shift on a hot summer day with no air-conditioning in the car.Tony Rocca
We new-world settlers … brought the imagination of other countries to transplant it in a different geography.Guy Davenport
Even notes of honey can emerge with bottle age, and new-world examples of the wine made from ripe-picked grapes have exhibited aromas of fig and black raspberry jam.John Winthrop Haeger

New World

2 of 2

noun

Phrases
the New World
: the western hemisphere
especially : the continental landmass of North and South America
It must therefore be inferred that the colonizers of the New World … numbered at least 900 individuals … Johanna Nichols
compare old world

Examples of new-world in a Sentence

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
Desai’s multipart meet-cute lets her challenge neat old-world–new-world dichotomies. Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2025 Increasingly, castor oil is being transformed into high-performance fibers and biopolymers, proving that old-world remedies can fuel new-world innovation. Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Noun
Baptist Health x New World Symphony Orchestra at Washington Avenue and 17th Street, Miami Beach. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2026 Vespucci made two voyages to the New World, although never to North America. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for new-world

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1855, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1549, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of new-world was in 1549

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Cite this Entry

“New-world.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/new-world. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

New World

noun
: the western hemisphere
especially : the continental landmass of North and South America
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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