old school

American  

noun

1. advocates or supporters of established custom or of conservatism.

   a military man of the old school.

---

old school British  

noun

1. a school formerly attended by a person

2. a group of people favouring traditional ideas or conservative practices

---

Other Word Forms

• old-school adjective

Etymology

Origin of old school

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

When I was scouting for Kei, I had to do it old school — go back and watch matches and learn different things about different players.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

However, one soft drinks firm in the Midwest is keeping old school tradition alive by continuing to sell its products in returnable glass bottles.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Giardina’s prescription, and that of many other liberals and progressives in the region, is straightforward — and old school.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

For dinner, I went old school at À La Renaissance, a century-old, recently revived bistro with chunky terrazzo floors and burgundy banquettes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

I sulked about missing my old school and friends.

From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling