Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Adhering to conservative or reactionary principles.
  • adjective Long established.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of the old line or direction of thought or doctrine; conservative: as, an old-line Whig.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective reactionary or conservative
  • adjective long-established

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective adhering to conservative or reactionary principles

Etymologies

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Examples

  • We in the so-called old-line churches have, in my humble judgment, missed one of our greatest possible contributions by failing to point out with positiveness that there is a sound message of health in Christianity.

    The Power of Positive Thinking Norman Vincent Peale 1980

  • The old-line white Southerners still held a lot of sway with party elders, so they were going to be heard.

    The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010

  • The old-line white Southerners still held a lot of sway with party elders, so they were going to be heard.

    The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010

  • The old-line white Southerners still held a lot of sway with party elders, so they were going to be heard.

    The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010

  • The news given, the marriage was dated ahead with ten times the brevity of the old-line Chinese custom.

    THE TEARS OF AH KIM 2010

  • The reason: I thought Hillary would provide more of the same -- an old-line no-longer-New Deal Democrat, with solutions that don't adequately address 21st Century problems.

    W. Hunter Roberts: Election Day Blues W. Hunter Roberts 2010

  • What do you do with an employee who is trained to operate a specific machine in an old-line industry that no longer employs Americans?

    TAA Program Gives Real Benefits 2011

  • What do you do with an employee who is trained to operate a specific machine in an old-line industry that no longer employs Americans?

    TAA Program Gives Real Benefits 2011

  • Despite the deals, H-P remained reliant on its old-line PC and printer businesses for about half of its revenue.

    H-P Explores Quitting Computers as Profits Slide Ben Worthen 2011

  • Part of Mr. Keri's problem is that the three seem to have taken a lesson about the value of revealing trade secrets and their own personalities from the success of "Moneyball," which exposed Oakland general manager Billy Beane to considerable ridicule from some old-line baseball men even as it taught other teams his tricks.

    The Religion of Prediction Tim Marchman 2011

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