✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

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
To this point, Austin Meade’s career has been the sort of old-school grind that Texas artists once accepted as just the way things work in independent music. Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2025 Wear Neutrals Possibly my favorite old-school packing trick is to simply wear neutrals. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2025 As the head coach of the Spartans for three decades, Izzo has an old-school style of coaching that's still pulling off incredible wins and records. Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025 Southern-Style Beef Wellington is our Test Kitchen’s twist on an old-school favorite that’s both fancy and foolproof. Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 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 2 Dec. 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!