old school

American  

noun

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

   a military man of the old school.

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old school British  

noun

1. a school formerly attended by a person

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

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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

When Gisele just wants to just be a 20-year-old, she focuses on her favorite hobbies, such as cooking and spending time with friends from her old school, Harvard-Westlake.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026

We ran harder, faster, toward the back right corner of the chain-link fence surrounding the old school.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken