old-world

1 of 2

adjective

ˈōl(d)-ˈwər(-ə)ld 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Old World

old-world traditions/attitudes/beliefs

Many recipes for old-world cakes … call for whisking egg yolks with sugar until a pale yellow foam forms.

—Ben Mims

Pronghorns, distinctly North American and not allied to old-world goats or antelope, are the fastest land mammals on earth after cheetahs.

—Ted Williams

often : having the charm or picturesque qualities of the Old World

narrow old-world streets

… the house radiates a European sensibility … By recognizing and building upon this appealing old-world integrity, Joanne Deakins has placed the definitive stamp of her own decorating taste and style on the home's interior and furnishings.

—Southern Accents

The hotel is very old-world, and the tall dining room has all the accoutrements that a luxury hotel once required.

—Lillian Langseth-Christensen

Old World

2 of 2

noun

Phrases

the Old World

: the eastern hemisphere exclusive of Australia

… the pomegranate has been naturalized for so long throughout the Old World that no one is quite sure where it originated (but Persia seems most likely).

—Elizabeth Schneider

During the late Miocene, various kinds of apes evolved in widely separated parts of the Old World (but none in the New World).

—Marvin Harris

specifically : the continent of Europe

The Atlantic is a Lethean stream, in our passage over which we have had an opportunity to forget the Old World and its institutions.

—Henry David Thoreau

From America, the Old World would receive new staffs of life, such as corn and potatoes, as well as some of life's guilty pleasures, such as tobacco and chocolate.

—Peter Winn

compare new world

Synonyms of old-world

Adjective

• vintage
• antique
• retro
• traditional
• historical
• historic
• antiquated
• old-time

Examples of old-world in a Sentence

Adjective

the theater has been painstakingly restored to its old-world elegance

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Some people like old-world charm and zealously seek to preserve it. — Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2026

The Fiorentino family has overseen meticulous renovations that restored their shine with faithful deference to its old-world elegance. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026

Noun

Still, some argued that such Old World groups could not be Indigenous at least as late as the 1990s. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026

Copper on King, the bar and restaurant in the former Buck Bradley's location in Milwaukee's Old World Third Street Entertainment District, has temporarily closed. — Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1712, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1596, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for old-world

• lifeworld
• unfurled
• curled
• furled
• hurled
• knurled
• swirled
• twirled
• whirled
• whorled
• world
• netherworld

Kids Definition

old-world

1 of 2 adjective

ˈōl-ˈ(d)wər(-ə)ld

1

: of or relating to the Old World

2

: having old-fashioned charm

Old World

2 of 2 noun

: the eastern hemisphere except Australia

especially : the continent of Europe