yesteryear

American  

[yes-ter-yeer, -yeer] / ˈyɛs tərˈyɪər, -ˌyɪər /

noun

1. last year.

2. the recent years; time not long past.

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adverb

1. during time not long past.

yesteryear British  

/ ˈjɛstəˌjɪə /

noun

1. last year or the past in general

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adverb

1. during last year or the past in general

Etymology

Origin of yesteryear

yester- + year; apparently introduced by D.G. Rossetti (1870) to render Middle French antan (Villon)

Example Sentences

Before then, it had tended to grow in recent years, although not as quickly or dramatically as it did in the dot-com bubble of yesteryear.

From Barron's

With few words, Kuznetsov projects such decency and conviction that he recalls any number of virtuous fictional lawyers of yesteryear who stood up to evil.

From Los Angeles Times

Like the Sirkian melodramas of yesteryear, we go see movies like “Reminders of Him” because they’re highly entertaining — and, more often than not, decently made.

From Salon

If Nvidia can emulate that, shareholders will be rewarded, even though it’s not quite the explosive gains of yesteryear.

From Barron's

If Nvidia can emulate that shareholders will be rewarded, even though it’s not quite the explosive gains of yesteryear.

From Barron's