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old-time

American  
[ohld-tahym] / ˈoʊldˈtaɪm /

adjective

  1. belonging to or characteristic of old or former times, methods, ideas, etc..

    old-time sailing ships; an old-time piano player.

  2. being long established.

    old-time residents.
old-time British  

adjective

  1. (prenominal) of or relating to a former time; old-fashioned

    old-time dancing
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of old-time

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The journalist James Agee’s merciless portraits of his subjects remind Mr. Frazier of “those old-time operations that were done on a kitchen table without anesthetic.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Francis, 48, says some of the old-time shoemakers have given up trying to create footwear from scratch, and now just fix the mass-produced shoes that have put them out of business.

From Barron's • Oct. 26, 2025

Around here, we enjoy a good story about an old-time guy preserved in a bog.

From Slate • Jul. 26, 2025

It's an album of stunning poetic clarity and emotion – typified by the title track, an old-time country-rock ballad inspired by her love of detective novels.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2025

Mr. Underwood was an old-time printer and stood for no nonsense.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee

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.