: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Old World
old-world traditions/attitudes/beliefs
Many recipes for old-world cakes … call for whisking egg yolks with sugar until a pale yellow foam forms.—
Ben Mims
Ben MimsPronghorns, distinctly North American and not allied to old-world goats or antelope, are the fastest land mammals on earth after cheetahs.—Ted Williams
Ted Williams
often
: having the charm or picturesque qualities of the Old World
narrow old-world streets
… the house radiates a European sensibility … By recognizing and building upon this appealing old-world integrity, Joanne Deakins has placed the definitive stamp of her own decorating taste and style on the home's interior and furnishings. —Southern Accents
Southern Accents The hotel is very old-world, and the tall dining room has all the accoutrements that a luxury hotel once required. —Lillian Langseth-Christensen
Lillian Langseth-Christensen
Phrases
the Old World
: the eastern hemisphere exclusive of Australia
… the pomegranate has been naturalized for so long throughout the Old World that no one is quite sure where it originated (but Persia seems most likely).—Elizabeth Schneider
Elizabeth SchneiderDuring the late Miocene, various kinds of apes evolved in widely separated parts of the Old World (but none in the New World).—Marvin Harris
Marvin Harris
specifically
: the continent of Europe
The Atlantic is a Lethean stream, in our passage over which we have had an opportunity to forget the Old World and its institutions. —Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau From America, the Old World would receive new staffs of life, such as corn and potatoes, as well as some of life's guilty pleasures, such as tobacco and chocolate. —Peter Winn
compare new world
Peter Winn Examples of old-world in a Sentence
Adjective
the theater has been painstakingly restored to its old-world elegance
Recent Examples on the Web
Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2025
With an ongoing revamp courtesy of fashion’s favorite architect and designer Peter Marino, the interiors are also being given a new lease of life without losing any of the old-world glamour that has seen celebrity guests flock here for decades.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
Nora Heston Tarte, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
Founded as a Swiss village in the heart of German America, New Glarus found its niche with Old World charisma.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
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Adjective
Mineral 1886 Mineral 1886, located inside the historic Delaware Hotel, is a breakfast and brunch spot that blends old-world charm with modern culinary flair.
—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2025
With an ongoing revamp courtesy of fashion’s favorite architect and designer Peter Marino, the interiors are also being given a new lease of life without losing any of the old-world glamour that has seen celebrity guests flock here for decades.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
The winemaker recently shifted the menu to more European, Old World-style varietals.
—Nora Heston Tarte, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
Founded as a Swiss village in the heart of German America, New Glarus found its niche with Old World charisma.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for old-world
Cite this Entry
“Old-world.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old-world. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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