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• old-world
  old-world

  adjective

  of or relating to the ancient world or to a former period of history.
• Old World
  Old World

  noun

  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.

old-world

¹ American  

[ohld-wurld] / ˈoʊldˈwɜrld /

adjective

1. of or relating to the ancient world or to a former period of history.

2. of or relating to the Old World.

   old-world customs.

3. characteristic of the Old World; quaint; traditional.

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Old World ² American  

[ohld wurld] / ˈoʊld ˌwɜrld /

noun

1. 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.

2. Eastern Hemisphere.

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old-world ¹ British  

adjective

1. of or characteristic of former times, esp, in Europe, quaint or traditional

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Old World ² British  

noun

1. that part of the world that was known before the discovery of the Americas, comprising Europe, Asia, and Africa; the eastern hemisphere

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Old World Cultural  

1. The Eastern Hemisphere, especially Europe, as opposed to the New World — the Americas.

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Other Word Forms

• old-worldliness
  noun
• old-worldly
  adjective
• old-worldly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of old-world¹

First recorded in 1705–15

Origin of Old World²

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

old-world Old World

The Saint Paul Hotel — Overlooking Rice Park in downtown St. Paul, the Saint Paul Hotel delivers old-world elegance with the kind of attentive service that’s increasingly rare.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 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

Now new owners Peter and Kirsten Kern are betting they can revive the old-world craft firm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

Remarkably few of these old-world venues remain in circulation — there are only a handful in America — although they are much revered in Europe, where it is much more common to stumble across one.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2025

Comparing the clippers to those old-world wrecks was like squinting into daylight after coming out of a rust hold.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Old World hantaviruses, typically found in Europe and Asia, generally affect the kidneys.

From Salon ● May 9, 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

Not that the Old World exactly meets this complicated moment brimming with confidence.

From Barron's ● Mar. 7, 2026

Complex agricultural societies gradually arose in the Americas far to the south of that entry route, developing in complete isolation from the emerging complex societies of the Old World.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• antiquated
• archaic
• charming
• curious
• cute
• fanciful
• picturesque
• twee
• whimsical