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.
Many dividend paying companies are in old-line, hard-hat industries such as industrials and materials.
From Barron's ● Mar. 6, 2026
With independent studios facing challenges finding tenants to rent their sound stages and services, old-line studio titans such as Warner Bros.,
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 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
The problem: Disney still relies on old-line TV channels for a colossal portion of its profit — and those outlets are being maimed by cord-cutting, sports programming costs and advertiser pullback.
From New York Times ● May 10, 2023
In the 1940s and 1950s, the old-line law firms of New York operated like a private club.
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.
