old-fashioned

1 of 2

adjective

old-fash·​ioned ˈōl(d)-ˈfa-shənd 

1

a

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a past era

wears an old-fashioned black bow tie

—Green Peyton

b

: adhering to customs of a past era

2

: outmoded

old-fashionedly

ˈōl(d)-ˈfa-shən(d)-lē 

adverb

old-fashionedness

ˈōl(d)-ˈfa-shən(d)-nəs 

noun

old-fashioned

2 of 2

noun

: a cocktail usually made with whiskey, bitters, sugar, a twist of lemon peel, and a small amount of water or soda

Synonyms

Adjective

• antique
• oldfangled
• old-school
• old-time
• old-timey
• old-world
• quaint
• retro
• retrograde
• vintage

Examples of old-fashioned in a Sentence

Adjective

an elegant, old-fashioned bun that was held in place with pearl hairpins

I'm so old-fashioned that I actually think people should use standard grammar and punctuation when composing e-mails

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Both Oi and Gray say the use of good, old-fashioned fly swatters is best. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 June 2025

Cora, Cordelia: These lovely, old-fashioned names are having a resurgence and suit a Cancer’s delicate nature. —Kara Nesvig, Parents, 17 June 2025

Noun

Its problem stemmed from an old-fashioned maturity mismatch between assets (such as loans and securities) and liabilities (such as deposits). —Kathleen Pender, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Mar. 2023

The results, plotted on the monitors next door, looked a bit like old-fashioned sing-alongs: follow the bouncing ball. —Burkhard Bilger, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for old-fashioned

• fashioned
• rationed
• impassioned
• refashioned

Kids Definition

old-fashioned

adjective

old-fash·​ioned

ˈōl(d)-ˈfash-ənd

1

: of, relating to, or like that of an earlier time

old-fashioned clothes

2

: holding fast to old ways : conservative