old school

American  

noun

1. advocates or supporters of established custom or of conservatism.

   a military man of the old school.

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old school British  

noun

1. a school formerly attended by a person

2. a group of people favouring traditional ideas or conservative practices

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• old-school
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of old school

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Is time for a more old school, and spontaneous, connection?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

I have been married over 40 years, and we are old school.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

"There's another wave of country artists that are coming that is really into doing it the old school way and showing emotion," she said.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Crime 101 features all the classic car chases and stunts you'd imagine from an old school crime thriller and Hemsworth said that was one of the most enjoyable parts of filming.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

At my old school, there were usually the bubbly types who work really hard and leave after a year.

From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes