olden

American  

[ohl-duhn] / ˈoʊl dən /

adjective

Literary.

1. of or relating to the distant past or bygone times; ancient.

2. old.

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olden British  

/ ˈəʊldən /

adjective

1. an archaic or poetic word for old

   in olden days

   in olden times

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Etymology

Origin of olden

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at old, -en ²

Explanation

Olden describes times that happened long ago. As the composer Cole Porter once wrote, "In olden days, a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking. But now, God knows. Anything goes." You can use this old-fashioned adjective to talk about bygone days or things that happened, like in a fairytale, "once upon a time." Olden almost always describes "days," or sometimes "times." While many older people like to talk about how much better the olden days were, there are plenty of them who appreciate things like the Internet and mobile phones, who don't miss the olden days at all.

Example Sentences

Way back in olden times — seven days ago — Goldman Sachs lifted its year-end gold price target to $5,400 from $4,900.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

In the olden days, you might have to lie about how rich you are and maybe borrow a car.

From Salon • May 21, 2025

"In the olden days, doctors would ease you out of life and the difference was it wasn't necessarily with your consent," she said.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2024

It’s like the olden days when illiterate people needed the town scribe to read and write their letters, except most nonspeakers are not illiterate.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 29, 2023

Halmoni’s quiet time, time for a walk and talk about olden days.

From "A Step from Heaven" by An Na