old school
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈəʊl(d)skuːl/
ipa: /ˈoʊl(d)ˌskul/
Forms: form: more old school
form: most old school
form: oldschool
form: old-school
form: Old School
form: oldskool
form: old skool
Etymology: The noun is derived from old + school (“followers of a particular doctrine; particular doctrine or way of thinking”), probably a shortening of old school of thinking, old school of thought, or some similar phrase.
The adjective is derived from the attributive form of the noun.
Senses: examples: text: That teacher’s old-school methods aren’t effective. They’re just annoying.
text: Man, I love that jacket; it’s so old school.
text: Many railway officers complain that the deep interest of the old-school railwaymen in their job is dying; the B.T.C.'s new approach seems calculated to hasten its death and breed thousands more time-servers.
ref: 1962 November, “Talking of Trains: The One-day Strike”, in Modern Railways, Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 291:
text: How Kieran Trippier bent it like Beckham to score England's brilliant World Cup opener against Croatia [title] […] That was an old school free-kick from Kieran Trippier, straight out of the David Beckham playbook. His aim is to get as much whip and dip on the ball as possible. Trippier addresses the side of the ball, plants his left foot alongside it and his right takes care of the rest. The way he wraps his foot around the ball generates a top-spin effect, like a sweetly struck forehand from Rafael Nadal.
ref: 2018 July 12, Jamie Redknapp, “How Kieran Trippier bent it like Beckham to score England's brilliant World Cup opener against Croatia”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 31 Mar 2025:
text: The seat reservations are also old-school, with labels in the back of seats.
ref: 2019 October 23, Pip Dunn, “The Next King of Scotland”, in Rail, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 51:
synonyms: word: OG
word: outdated
word: out of date
word: out of fashion
word: anachronistic
word: antediluvial
word: antediluvian
word: antiquated
word: antique
word: archaic
word: backward
word: backwards
word: behind the times
word: cobwebbed
word: cobwebby
word: dated
word: defunct
word: discontinued
word: disused
word: dootsie
word: elderly
word: extinct
word: expired
word: fossilized
word: Havishamesque
word: idle
word: Miss Havishamesque
word: obsolete
word: old
word: oldfangled
word: old-fashioned
word: old school
word: outdated
word: outmoded
word: out of date
word: out of fashion
word: outworn
word: parachronistic
word: passé
word: superannuated
word: superseded
word: unemployed
word: unoccupied
word: venerable
word: workless
word: basic
word: cheugy
word: cringe
word: cringey
word: cringeworthy
word: dated
word: démodé
word: fossilized
word: inelegant
word: last year
word: normie
word: old
word: old-fashioned
word: old-hat
word: oldfangled
word: ossified
word: out
word: out of date
word: out of fashion
word: out of touch
word: outdated
word: outmoded
word: passé
word: rinky-dink
word: tacky
word: unchic
word: uncool
word: unfashionable
word: unhip
word: unpopular
word: unstylish
word: untrendy
antonyms: new school
new-school
glosses: Now often old-school: characteristic of a method for accomplishing a task, a style, or a way of thinking that was employed in a former era, remembered either for its inferiority to the current method, or for its superiority over the new way.
examples: text: Also look out for a PHAT PHAT oldskool style tune on Jemini [the Gifted One]'s album set to drop in the next couple of weeks. It uses the Love Unlimited 'Strange Games and Things' break, and comes on with the old skool rhymes believe …
ref: 1995 April 14, ed [pseudonym], “Low Down on New Tunes dropping soon”, in rec.music.hip-hop (Usenet):
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
antonyms: new school
new-school
newskool
new skool
nu skool
glosses: Of or relating to a style of popular music regarded as more old-fashioned or traditional, or not following newer trends; specifically (often old skool), of or relating to hip-hop or rap music of the late 1970s and 1980s (or more recent music of this style) as contrasted with newer styles of such music.
examples: text: Local politicians assume various appellations, such as New School and Old School Democrats, Snyderites, Clintonians, and many others, mostly derived from the name or principles of some popular demagogue.
ref: 1816, “an Old Scene Painter” [pseudonym], The Emigrant’s Guide; or, A Picture of America: […], London: […] W[illiam] Clowes, […] for W[illiam] Simpkin and R[ichard] Marshall, […], →OCLC, footnote *, page 17:
text: [W]e both agree that you are defrauding some honest man of his just due. I recommend that you form an acquaintance, with a view to prospective results for life, with some well-settled, Old-School Presbyterian clergyman, and send me some of the cake.
ref: 1862 (date written), Ida Husted Harper, quoting Theodore Tilton, “Mob Experience—Civil War. 1861–1862.”, in The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony […], volume I, Indianapolis, Ind.; Kansas City, Mo.: The Bowen-Merrill Company, published 1899, →OCLC, page 218:
topics: Christianity
government
politics
glosses: Chiefly in the form Old School: having conservative or traditional views on Christianity or politics.