vintage

1 of 2

noun

vin·​tage ˈvin-tij 

1

a(1)

: a season's yield of grapes or wine from a vineyard

(2)

: wine

especially : a usually superior wine all or most of which comes from a single year

b

: a collection of contemporaneous and similar persons or things : crop

2

: the act or time of harvesting grapes or making wine

3

a

: a period of origin or manufacture

a piano of 1845 vintage

b

: length of existence : age

vintage

2 of 2

adjective

1

of wine : of, relating to, or produced in a particular vintage

2

: of old, recognized, and enduring interest, importance, or quality : classic

3

a

: dating from the past : old

b

: outmoded, old-fashioned

4

: of the best and most characteristic

—used with a proper noun

… vintage Shaw: a wise and winning comedy …

—Time

Synonyms of vintage

Adjective

• antique
• retro
• historic
• historical

Examples of vintage in a Sentence

Noun

a piano of 1845 vintage

Adjective

the designer's bracelets and necklaces have the vintage look of jewelry from the 1920s

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There's a big wine cellar full of South African vintages, including a Beyerskloof 2001 and a Nederburg private bin 2004 riesling from auction. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

Americans of Kokopeli’s vintage are old enough to remember TV-watching as restricted by the times shows went on-air, by the channels their parents paid for, and by the public service announcements they were forced to get through during morning cartoons. —Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026

Adjective

This special edition — adorned with a postcard-style graphics evoking vintage travel souvenirs — stands out as one of the most emblematic pieces from their two-decade partnership. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 26 May 2026

Former service members donning white gloves carried small pine boxes from the New York State Museum in Albany and gently loaded them onto vintage military vehicles adorned with black funeral bunting and American flags for a solemn 60-mile procession north to Lake George, New York. —Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 25 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, probably alteration of vendage, from Anglo-French vendage, vendenge, from Latin vindemia grape-gathering, vintage, from vinum wine, grapes + demere to take off, from de- + emere to take — more at wine, redeem

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adjective

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing vintage

• vintage year

Rhymes for vintage

• mintage

Kids Definition

vintage

noun

vin·​tage

ˈvint-ij

1

a

: the grapes or wine produced during one season

b

: wine entry 1 sense 1

2

: a period in which something was made or was begun

a violin of 1820 vintage

vintage adjective

Etymology

Noun

Middle English vintage, an altered form of vendage "the grapes picked during a season," from early French vendage, vendenge (same meaning), from Latin vindemia (same meaning), from vinum "wine, grapes" and demere "to take off" — related to vine, vinegar