old-school
1 of 2adjective
ˈōl(d)-ˌskül 
1
: adhering to traditional policies or practices
an old-school coach
2
: characteristic or evocative of an earlier or original style, manner, or form
old-school music
old school
2 of 2noun
: adherents of traditional policies and practices
Synonyms
Adjective
- antique
- old-fashioned
- old-time
- old-timey
- old-world
- oldfangled
- quaint
- retro
- retrograde
- vintage
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Steve Meyer, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Sep. 2022 Dave Holmgren, who checks in at 7 feet tall himself and played college hoops at Minnesota, is old school. USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2022 Behind them, a short drive away, is an old school where 10 people now analyze what those ancient people brought with them or created here and that now has been unearthed: ancient tiles, Roman pottery pieces, archaic charcoal and seashells. cincinnati.com, 4 Aug. 2022 An old school French brasserie in the best sense of the expression. Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 17 June 2022 The attention to detail is also old school—Randolph glasses are designed and handcrafted in the USA and guaranteed for life. Gabriela Aoun, Outside Online, 10 Nov. 2020 Jordan Peele's 'Nope':A good ode to old school sci-fi. Kimi Robinson, The Arizona Republic, 11 Aug. 2022 Have the current pro bowlers play against the past era of pro bowlers, like an old school vs new school, don’t even need pads, can be flag formatted, would break the viewing ratings for a Pro Bowl easily. Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 25 May 2022 This seems to be the happy medium in a baseball world that is so committed to the binary bickering of old school vs. Jules Posner, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2022 See More
Noun
Most of us were old school and didn’t think much about folks looking out for our health. Steve Meyer, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Sep. 2022 Dave Holmgren, who checks in at 7 feet tall himself and played college hoops at Minnesota, is old school. USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2022 Behind them, a short drive away, is an old school where 10 people now analyze what those ancient people brought with them or created here and that now has been unearthed: ancient tiles, Roman pottery pieces, archaic charcoal and seashells. cincinnati.com, 4 Aug. 2022 An old school French brasserie in the best sense of the expression. Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 17 June 2022 The attention to detail is also old school—Randolph glasses are designed and handcrafted in the USA and guaranteed for life. Gabriela Aoun, Outside Online, 10 Nov. 2020 Jordan Peele's 'Nope':A good ode to old school sci-fi. Kimi Robinson, The Arizona Republic, 11 Aug. 2022 Have the current pro bowlers play against the past era of pro bowlers, like an old school vs new school, don’t even need pads, can be flag formatted, would break the viewing ratings for a Pro Bowl easily. Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 25 May 2022 This seems to be the happy medium in a baseball world that is so committed to the binary bickering of old school vs. Jules Posner, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
Adjective
1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1749, in the meaning defined above
old-school
adjective
1
as in vintage
pleasantly reminiscent of an earlier time an old-school romantic comedy in which the two leads don't jump into bed at the first opportunity Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- vintage
- retro
- antique
- traditional
- antiquated
- historical
- historic
- old-time
- old-timey
- old-fashioned
- quaint
- old-world
- former
- ancient
- retrograde
- past
- olden
- obsolete
- stodgy
- aged
- outmoded
- oldfangled
- outdated
- passé
- fusty
- late
- atavistic
- antediluvian
- bygone
- hoary
- dated
- forgotten
- venerable
- superannuated
- erstwhile
- outworn
- anachronistic
- old hat
- timeless
- moldy
- fossilized
- rinky-dink
- musty
- ageless
- age-old
- out-of-date
- anachronous
- anachronic
- remote
- dateless
- moth-eaten
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- modern
- contemporary
- newfangled
- current
- modernist
- new
- modernistic
- ultramodern
- fresh
- hot
- new age
- stylish
- fashionable
- chic
- mod
- smart
- designer
- new-fashioned
- modernized
- space-age
- state-of-the-art
- present-day
- latest
- up-to-date
- nontraditional
- updated
- futuristic
- red-hot
- last
- refurbished
- recent
- renewed
- remodeled
- high-tech
- hi-tech
- latter-day
2
as in traditional
tending to favor established ideas, conditions, or institutions an old-school gentleman who opened doors and pulled out chairs for women Synonyms & Similar Words
- traditional
- conservative
- orthodox
- conventional
- loyal
- reactionary
- staunch
- faithful
- old-fashioned
- traditionalistic
- ultraconservative
- hidebound
- unprogressive
- steadfast
- old-line
- archconservative
- paleoconservative
- devoted
- true
- buttoned-down
- die-hard
- standpat
- brassbound
- mossbacked
- button-down
- stodgy
- square
- steady
- neoconservative
- fogyish
- true-blue
- stanch
- blimpish
- ossified
- antimodern
- dowdy
- ultraright
- ultrarightist
- fogeyish
- fuddy-duddy
- set
- right
- antirevolutionary
- antiliberal
- right-wing
- antiprogressive
- antireform
- Tory
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- nontraditional
- progressive
- liberal
- modern
- nonconventional
- unconventional
- unorthodox
- revolutionary
- nonconservative
- radical
- antiestablishment
- extremist
- contemporary
- nonorthodox
- antitraditional
- anticonventional
- nonconformist
- advanced
- large-minded
- open-minded
- radical
- broad-minded
- lefty
- ultraleft
- ultraradical
- ultraleftist
- ultraprogressive