nostalgic

1 of 2

adjective

nos·​tal·​gic nä-ˈstal-jik 

nə-,

 also  nȯ-,

nō-;

nə-ˈstäl-

: feeling or inspiring nostalgia: such as

a

: longing for or thinking fondly of a past time or condition

As we drove through the French countryside, I couldn't help being not just nostalgic, but wistful, about how simple wine was 25 years ago.

—Matt Kramer

The protest mostly featured the usual suspects—anti-capitalists, environmentalists, union types chanting "Solidarity," and aging hippies nostalgic for their youth.

—Margaret Wente

b

: evocative of a longed-for past time or condition

He loved good stories, especially nostalgic ones from his boyhood, and relished the telling.

—Peter Schworm

He soon parlayed his nostalgic pictures into a business that would eventually include writing, antique collecting, museum operations, and reproduction-furniture making.

—David K. Leff

nostalgically

nä-ˈstal-ji-k(ə-)lē 

nə-

 also  nȯ-

nō-;

nə-ˈstäl-

adverb

thinking nostalgically of the summers they spent together

looking back nostalgically on happier times

nostalgic

2 of 2

noun

plural nostalgics

: someone who longs for a past time or condition : a person given to nostalgia

There are nostalgics on both sides who felt better with a predictably snarling standoff than with the uncertain paths now opening.

—Flora Lewis

Eventually it would become an empty shell, a refuge for nostalgics unable to accept the challenge facing all organizations in a changing world; adapt or perish.

—John L. H. Keep

Examples of nostalgic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Dialing into other nostalgic, but popular music, the line has a show playing the hits of Queen, marrying a live rock band with orchestral and aerialist accompaniment in the Panorama Lounge. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2025

De Tomaso teased images of its creation last year, a $1.6 million hypercar, or supercar, with decidedly nostalgic looks that befit a marque whose peak was decades ago. —Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 15 May 2025

Noun

In combining the nostalgic with the contemporary, Established & Sons is living up to the premise contained in its name, a commitment to mixing new and old that has distinguished the brand from the beginning. —Ian Volner, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025

The Irish singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist presents the originals beneath a veil of ambience and reverb, embedding a nostalgic in the fabric of her homespun renditions. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

nostalg(ia) + -ic entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of nostalgic entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1782, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1874, in the meaning defined above