Synonyms of old-linenext
1
a
: having a reputation or authority based on length or proven quality of service
an old-line firm
b
: of established prestige and influence
old-line families
2
: adhering to traditional policies or practices : conservative

Examples of old-line in a Sentence

an old-line professor who still taught as if it were 1930
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The larger, at 31 Pratt, is the former headquarters of Society for Savings, an old-line bank whose roots stretched back to 1819. Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026 Under this scenario, the public models will start to look like old-line enterprise software companies, taking in proprietary data, fine-tuning a version of their public model to be private, and then running that model for the customer. Forrester, Forbes.com, 20 Mar. 2026 These firms had been the envy of the old-line investment banking houses. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2026 More practically, people on Netflix’s side might say that further industry consolidation is inevitable, given changing consumer habits and shifting business models for old-line media companies. Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025 That has included a growing number of tech and IT firms taking their place, pushing off the likes of print publishers and old-line industrial companies in the process. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025 Among the festival organizers, Yarrow was an advocate for the topical songwriting and contemporary sounds that some old-line folk aficionados resisted. Jon Pareles, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of old-line was in 1803

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Cite this Entry

“Old-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old-line. Accessed 6 May. 2026.

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