yesteryear
noun
yes·ter·year
ˈye-stər-ˌyir 
1
: last year
2
: time gone by
especially
: the recent past
yesteryear
adverb
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Word History of Yesteryear
Mais où sont les neiges d’antan is the refrain of a famous poem by François Villon, translated as “But where are the snows of yesteryear?” The line is understood to express a melancholy nostalgia.
The translation was by the English poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Both the French antan and yesteryear originally simply meant “last year,” but today their meaning has broadened to “time gone by.”
Examples of yesteryear in a Sentence
the simple games of yesteryear that kept children entertained for hours
Recent Examples on the Web
In Karp’s telling, Basquiat is someone who Just Did Things, like today’s defense tech founders, who possess a similar kind of creative conviction, as opposed to the consumer tech imitators of yesteryear.
—
Simon Denny, Artforum, 20 Apr. 2026
The healthy birthday basket is a noticeable contrast to the treats of yesteryear for Fatou, who has been photographed eating cake throughout the years on her birthday, including on her 58th birthday in 2015.
—Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
The capital of yesteryear, which was based on the brick and mortar, where things are being made in a specific location, maybe on an assembly line or in a specific way, to a kind of capital that is based solely on advertising or on viewership.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
The spa Where most of The Breakers’ design is filled with homages to Italian villas of yesteryear, easily the most contemporary space on the entire property is the Spa.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yesteryear
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Simon Denny, Artforum, 20 Apr. 2026
The healthy birthday basket is a noticeable contrast to the treats of yesteryear for Fatou, who has been photographed eating cake throughout the years on her birthday, including on her 58th birthday in 2015.
—Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
The capital of yesteryear, which was based on the brick and mortar, where things are being made in a specific location, maybe on an assembly line or in a specific way, to a kind of capital that is based solely on advertising or on viewership.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
The spa Where most of The Breakers’ design is filled with homages to Italian villas of yesteryear, easily the most contemporary space on the entire property is the Spa.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yesteryear
Cite this Entry
“Yesteryear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yesteryear. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
yesteryear
noun
yes·ter·year
ˈyes-tər-ˌyi(ə)r
1
: last year
2
: the recent past
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
