yesteryear
noun
yes·ter·year
ˈye-stər-ˌyir 
1
: last year
2
: time gone by
especially
: the recent past
yesteryear
adverb
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Word History of Yesteryear
Mais où sont les neiges d’antan is the refrain of a famous poem by François Villon, translated as “But where are the snows of yesteryear?” The line is understood to express a melancholy nostalgia.
The translation was by the English poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Both the French antan and yesteryear originally simply meant “last year,” but today their meaning has broadened to “time gone by.”
Examples of yesteryear in a Sentence
the simple games of yesteryear that kept children entertained for hours
Recent Examples on the Web
Those pesky facts have not stopped the push at all levels of government to go back to yesteryear.
—
Philip Elliott, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024
On the flip side, Harris' debate performance and controversies around the former president about his remarks about legal immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, and affiliation with conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer might help lift the vice president's standing in yesteryear's political climate.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2024
The Pentagon is spending billions of dollars on weapons relevant to yesteryear.
—Colin Demarest, Axios, 11 Sep. 2024
Whereas in yesteryears her daily uniform might have consisted of cutoff, denim shorts and a peter pan-collared jumper, today, Chung’s style is less indie sleaze and more refined, with vintage mixed in throughout.
—Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2024
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Philip Elliott, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024
On the flip side, Harris' debate performance and controversies around the former president about his remarks about legal immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, and affiliation with conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer might help lift the vice president's standing in yesteryear's political climate.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2024
The Pentagon is spending billions of dollars on weapons relevant to yesteryear.
—Colin Demarest, Axios, 11 Sep. 2024
Whereas in yesteryears her daily uniform might have consisted of cutoff, denim shorts and a peter pan-collared jumper, today, Chung’s style is less indie sleaze and more refined, with vintage mixed in throughout.
—Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for yesteryear
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Dictionary Entries Near yesteryear
Cite this Entry
“Yesteryear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yesteryear. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
yesteryear
noun
yes·ter·year
ˈyes-tər-ˌyi(ə)r
1
: last year
2
: the recent past
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