1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of an earlier period
old-time songs
2
: of long standing
old-time residents

Examples of old-time in a Sentence

an old-time song that took the long-married couple back to when they were first dating
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The program will feature old-time acoustic mountain and folk music on banjo, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, fiddle, mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, bass fiddle, autoharp and the Appalachian dancing doll, plus dancing, storytelling and comedy. Eric E. Harrison, arkansasonline.com, 15 Jan. 2025 Growing up in Sunnyside, Wash., Top soaked in the songs of artists like Keith Whitley and George Strait and immersed himself in bluegrass and old-time country during his guitar lessons. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 14 Jan. 2025 Second place went to Attic Antiques ‘N Things, whose window featured old-time Santas. Janet Kusterer, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2025 The rafters are 19th century mine timbers, the atmosphere is old-time ski club (authentic, not contrived), and the walls are covered in local ski lore. Cassidy Randall, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for old-time 

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of old-time was in 1824

Dictionary Entries Near old-time

Cite this Entry

“Old-time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old-time. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

old-time

adjective
ˌōl(d)-ˌtīm
1
: of, relating to, or typical of an earlier period
2
: of long standing
old-time residents

More from Merriam-Webster on old-time

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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