old-world
|old-world|
🇺🇸
/ˌoʊldˈwɝld/
🇬🇧
/ˌəʊldˈwɜːld/
Old World / traditional
Etymology
'old-world' originates from English, composed of Old English elements: 'eald' (later 'old') and 'weoruld' (later 'world'), where 'eald' meant 'old' and 'weoruld' meant 'age of man' or 'world'.
'old-world' developed from Old English compounds (eald weoruld), through Middle English forms such as 'olde worlde', and by the 16th century the phrase 'Old World' came into use to contrast the lands known to Europeans with the newly discovered 'New World'.
Initially the components referred to 'old' and to 'the age or world of humans'; over time the compound came to denote specifically the lands of Europe/Asia/Africa (the 'Old World') and, by extension, ideas or styles considered traditional or conservative ('old-world' meaning 'traditional/antique').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
(usually capitalized as 'Old World') The parts of the world known to Europeans before the discovery of the Americas — broadly Europe, Asia, and Africa; used in contrast with the 'New World.'
Scholars compared plant species from the old-world and the New World.
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Adjective 1
characteristic of, or suggestive of, the Old World; traditionally or quaintly old-fashioned, conservative, or classical in style or manner.
She loved the old-world atmosphere of the village with its cobblestone streets and tea houses.
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Idioms
Last updated: 2026/01/07 06:02