old-line

American  

[ohld-lahyn] / ˈoʊldˈlaɪn /

adjective

1. following or supporting conservative or traditional ideas, beliefs, customs, etc.

2. long established; traditional.

   old-line society.

---

old-line British  

adjective

1. conservative; old-fashioned

2. well-established; traditional

---

Other Word Forms

• old-liner
  noun

---

Etymology

Origin of old-line

First recorded in 1855–60

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

old-line

But for old-line food makers like Campbell’s, getting any sales growth is so hard that gains can be measured in millimeters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

“Boston has created a very strong position in the mutual fund industry,” an old-line Bostonian tells me.

From Barron's ● May 1, 2026

With independent studios facing challenges finding tenants to rent their sound stages and services, old-line studio titans such as Warner Bros.,

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026

“Cyclical stocks have greatly underperformed this year, but with job losses mounting, during the months ahead, even the Mag7 may not be able to keep pace with old-line CYCLICALS!” says Paulsen.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 7, 2025

All of a sudden the things that the old-line law firms didn’t want to do—hostile takeovers and litigation—were the things that every law firm wanted to do.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• conservative
• traditional
• traditionalist
• traditionalistic

---