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• old fashioned
  old fashioned

  noun

  a cocktail made with whiskey, bitters, water, and sugar, and garnished with citrus-fruit slices and a cherry.
• old-fashioned
  old-fashioned

  adjective

  of a style or kind that is no longer in vogue.

old fashioned

¹ American  

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letters) a cocktail made with whiskey, bitters, water, and sugar, and garnished with citrus-fruit slices and a cherry.

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old-fashioned ² American  

[ohld-fash-uhnd] / ˈoʊldˈfæʃ ənd /

adjective

1. of a style or kind that is no longer in vogue.

   an old-fashioned bathing suit.

   Synonyms:

   obsolete, outmoded

2. favored or prevalent in former times.

   old-fashioned ideas.

3. having the conservative behavior, ways, ideas, or tastes of earlier times.

   a delightfully old-fashioned gentleman.

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old-fashioned British  

adjective

1. belonging to, characteristic of, or favoured by former times; outdated

   old-fashioned ideas

2. favouring or adopting the dress, manners, fashions, etc, of a former time

3. quizzically doubtful or disapproving

   she did not reply, but gave him an old-fashioned look

4. dialect old for one's age

   an old-fashioned child

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noun

1. a cocktail containing spirit, bitters, fruit, etc

Synonym Usage

See ancient ¹.

Other Word Forms

• old-fashionedness
  noun
• old-fashionedly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of old fashioned¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Origin of old-fashioned²

First recorded in 1645–55

Explanation

Something that's old-fashioned is out of style or from the past. You could call an antique telephone old-fashioned, and you could also describe your elderly grandfather this way. Out-of-date clothes, like your aunt's wardrobe of 1980's dresses with shoulder pads, are old-fashioned. Soda fountains, carriages pulled by horses, and typewriters are all old-fashioned as well. These things are either not currently popular, or they're just plain old. There is also a whisky-based mixed drink called an old-fashioned which is still served in many stylish bars and restaurants.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

old fashioned old-fashioned

Meanwhile, old fashioned conglomerate Berkshire-Hathaway is changing hands with Warren Buffett stepping down at the age of 95.

From Slate ● Jan. 3, 2026

With installations focused on the fabled, traffic-free, open road “freedom” that car manufacturers like to so often tout, there’s something quaintly old fashioned here.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2025

However, McElligott reckons that this narrative of more skeptical AI thinking has been used to explain what in essence is simply old fashioned profit-taking after a strong run.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 19, 2025

In a cattle shed on the Somerset hills, near Bruton, we are scraping it off the floors with old fashioned shovels.

From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2025

But if ever you want work like theirs again, you must keep it, though it should have the misfortune to become old fashioned.

From Unto This Last and Other Essays on Political Economy by John Ruskin

For companies that still operate old-fashioned pension plans, higher yields mean higher discount rates, which are key to calculating the present value of their liabilities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Despite bigger military budgets, younger defence firms still complain not enough is going towards autonomous systems compared to old-fashioned weaponry, like tanks, that is vulnerable to attack from cheaper drones.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

A proper old-fashioned tussle with Marmoush at times, who kept him on his toes.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Norman’s practice of old-fashioned retail politics is faced off by a barrage of television ads on Graham’s behalf.

From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026

“How nice it sounds! I wish someone would write to me so!” said Amy, who thought the old-fashioned address very elegant.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Related Words

• ancient
• antique
• archaic
• corny
• dated
• odd
• old
• old-time
• outdated
• outmoded
• primitive