olden

[ ohl-duhn ]

adjective

, Literary.

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

olden

/ ˈəʊldən /

adjective

1. See old
   an archaic or poetic word for old

   in olden times

   in olden days

Word History and Origins

Origin of olden¹

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

Example Sentences

Theodoric, the King of the Goths in Italy, even went on to rekindle a part of the olden Roman legacy in the fields of legal administration and architecture, with the cultural revival centered in the city of Ravenna.

From Realm of History

Few filmmakers are as in love with olden times as Wes Anderson is.

From Time

We, in olden days, had towering kooks and colossal villains.

From The Daily Beast

For those of you who are not old enough to remember, a watch was a device for telling time back in olden days, before smartphones.

From The Daily Beast

Of course, in the olden days, we knew what to think of Americans who quoted extensively from Pravda - right, Comrade Beck?

From The Daily Beast

I signed up to write my sixth book back in the olden days of 2005.

From The Daily Beast

In olden days and on the old continent, criticizing the monarch might limit your life chances.

From The Daily Beast

It is curious that dancing is not mentioned, but dancing in the olden days in Ireland was not, I believe, much indulged in.

From Project Gutenberg

I think these extracts are sufficient to give a portraiture of the place in olden times.

From Project Gutenberg

Enough of the massive walls is left to convey a vivid idea of the olden grandeur of the castle.

From Project Gutenberg

Sometimes land is rented on shares, a very common way in the olden time.

From Project Gutenberg

A beautiful picture now comes to my mind—a picture of an ideal mother of olden time.

From Project Gutenberg