old-line
Americanadjective
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following or supporting conservative or traditional ideas, beliefs, customs, etc.
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long established; traditional.
old-line society.
adjective
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conservative; old-fashioned
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well-established; traditional
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of old-line
First recorded in 1855–60
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.
Swing states with old-line communities like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Many dividend paying companies are in old-line, hard-hat industries such as industrials and materials.
From Barron's ● Mar. 6, 2026
“Cyclical stocks have greatly underperformed this year, but with job losses mounting, during the months ahead, even the Mag7 may not be able to keep pace with old-line CYCLICALS!” says Paulsen.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 7, 2025
But there has been friction between the White House and the new leadership of the old-line industrial auto union.
From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2023
What the old-line firms also did not do was involve themselves in hostile corporate takeovers.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
