old-school

1 of 2

adjective

1
: adhering to traditional policies or practices
an old-school coach
2
: characteristic or evocative of an earlier or original style, manner, or form
old-school music

old school

2 of 2

noun

: adherents of traditional policies and practices

Examples of old-school in a Sentence

Adjective an old-school romantic comedy in which the two leads don't jump into bed at the first opportunity an old-school gentleman who opened doors and pulled out chairs for women
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
Mendonça crams the film with vivid time-capsule details: vintage American cars and vinyl records, token-hungry phone booths and old-school printing presses, obscenely tight shorts and sweltering heat. Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 May 2025 These old-school tips for entertaining are here to stay—and for good reason. Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 18 May 2025 The old-school feel of the facility may be incredibly charming, but the list of complaints about the track has expanded in recent years. Luke Smith, New York Times, 18 May 2025 The String Queens Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook A violin/viola/cello trio that plays everything from classical chamber pieces to old-school jazz and present-day pop, The String Queens are at The Kate on May 24 at 7 p.m. $42. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for old-school

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1749, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of old-school was in 1749

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Old-school.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old-school. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!