Synonyms

olden

American

[ohl-duhn] / ˈoʊl dən /

adjective

Literary.

of or relating to the distant past or bygone times; ancient.
old.

olden British

/ ˈəʊldən /

adjective

an archaic or poetic word for old

in olden days
in olden times

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of olden

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; old, -en ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Way back in olden times — seven days ago — Goldman Sachs lifted its year-end gold price target to $5,400 from $4,900.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

In the olden days, you might have to lie about how rich you are and maybe borrow a car.

From Salon • May 21, 2025

"In the olden days, doctors would ease you out of life and the difference was it wasn't necessarily with your consent," she said.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2024

“I’m from the olden days, so I was like, ‘What does that mean?’”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2023

The King was dressed in a robe of velvet which had belonged to Uther the Conqueror, his father, trimmed with the beards of fourteen kings who had been vanquished in the olden days.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023