old-fashioned

1 of 2

adjective

old-fash·​ioned ˈōl(d)-ˈfa-shənd How to pronounce old-fashioned (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a past era
wears an old-fashioned black bow tieGreen Peyton
b
: adhering to customs of a past era
2
old-fashionedly adverb
old-fashionedness 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

Examples of old-fashioned in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
At stake were not only competing visions of the town’s signature event, but the survival of the kinds of old-fashioned community volunteer groups that historically formed part of the backbone of American towns. J. David Goodman Desiree Rios, New York Times, 4 May 2024 And even if an effective vaccine was available, most flu vaccines are still produced with old-fashioned technology that relies on growing virus in eggs — this can take months to make enough and can be unpredictable. Rob Stein, NPR, 3 May 2024 This meta ouroboros, movie-within-a-movie structure only works because The Fall Guy is such unabashed fun packaged in solid, old-fashioned filmmaking. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 2 May 2024 The work is constructed out of an old-fashioned rotary telephone and a plaster lobster. Chloe Veltman, NPR, 21 Apr. 2024 In 2008, the prolific character actor who at that point had appeared in everything from Do the Right Thing to Touched by an Angel — thought the only solution to his money troubles was the good, old-fashioned murder for the insurance money scheme. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 19 Apr. 2024 On The Tortured Poets Department's title track, the Grammy winner, 34, cheekily ribs her paramour about his penchant for old-fashioned typewriters and for likening himself to legendary poets. Melody Chiu, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024 Real old-fashioned opera, the more retro the better, has become the new cool. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024 The old-fashioned burger spot quickly became known for its Frosty milkshakes and square patty hamburgers. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2024
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 However The Reporter Wants To Communicate While email is my primary means of starting a relationship with a reporter, that relationship can move to Twitter, text or an old-fashioned phone call. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023 The shift to digital payments also accelerated during the pandemic, leading stores to replace old-fashioned cash tip jars with tablet touch screens. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 25 Mar. 2023 Director Michael Wainstein has cast his show with faces that radiate optimism in the best old-fashioned musical style. Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2023 Also called Butterfly roses, Mutabilis is just one of the tough modern and old-fashioned roses. Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, 24 Mar. 2023 Instead of an old-fashioned announcement or an Instagram post, however, the pair chose to reveal the news in true pop star style. Alberto Sisí Sánchez, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2023 The menu is huge and offers everything from butter horns to cheese fondue to old-fashioned pressure cooker fried chicken. Jevensen, oregonlive, 21 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'old-fashioned.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of old-fashioned was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near old-fashioned

Cite this Entry

“Old-fashioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old-fashioned. Accessed 8 May. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on old-fashioned

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