of or relating to the ancient world or to a former period of history.
of or relating to the Old World.
old-world customs.
characteristic of the Old World; quaint; traditional.
Europe, Asia, and Africa, especially when regarded collectively as the inhabited landmasses of the world known to Europe prior to its discovery of the Americas.
First recorded in 1705–15
First recorded in 1590–1600
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s a hard twist to reconcile in a funky sport with old-world attributes, like the referee mysteriously keeping track of the remaining time like a secret cupcake in his pocket.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
Historic freezes in 1894 and 1895 nearly eradicated the industry, its first and last real brush with old-world calamity.
From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026
As well as dressing up, they also try to replicate the posture, behaviours - such as using a fan - and "old-world way of speaking" of the Regency period.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
Dan Tana’s has endured, Martino said, in part because it can still deliver a charming, old-world experience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2025
Farther down the beach, the old-world wrecks still lay black on the sand like mangled bodies, still leaking oil and chemicals, still swarming with workers.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
While U.S. power and light providers steal headlines with data center superprojects and the proposed megamerger between NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy, Old World cousins are outperforming.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
In this case, an Old World hantavirus was at fault, not the Andes strain that’s responsible for the outbreak on the cruise ship.
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
A combination of letters signifying a person or brand feels Old World rather than the shiny new feeling that defines our casual, everyday West Coast lifestyle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
Donatello, the embodiment of an Old World defined more by superstition than piety and by tradition than goodness, lacks the character to withstand Miriam’s inner darkness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
The first lasted from 1492—when Columbus set sail, opening trade between the Old World and the New World —until around 1800.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
