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
Green Peytondoing it the old-fashioned way
b
: adhering to customs of a past era
good old-fashioned manners
2
: outmoded
old-fashioned views
: a cocktail usually made with whiskey, bitters, sugar, a twist of lemon peel, and a small amount of water or soda
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
Linh Tat, Oc Register, 5 May 2026
While the accommodations are simple, essential amenities like showers, laundry and even a pool are included — just be prepared to book the old-fashioned way, by phone.
—Evan Moore
may 5, Charlotte Observer, 5 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for old-fashioned
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Adjective
Training officers and old-fashioned community policing.
—Linh Tat, Oc Register, 5 May 2026
While the accommodations are simple, essential amenities like showers, laundry and even a pool are included — just be prepared to book the old-fashioned way, by phone.
—Evan Moore
may 5, Charlotte Observer, 5 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for old-fashioned
Cite this Entry
“Old-fashioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old-fashioned. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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