Meaning & use
olden
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a nounold-fashionedliterary
Belonging to an earlier age long ago, especially as remembered with a kind of fondness.
Grammar: Almost always before days or times: in the olden days.
Patterns
- olden days
- olden times
- in olden times
In the olden days, families made their own bread.
My grandmother loves telling stories about olden times.
The festival recreates a village from olden days.
Common combinations
- olden days
- In the olden days, news traveled by horse.
- olden times
- Olden times were not always as peaceful as they seem.
- olden golden days
- He spoke warmly of the olden golden days of radio.
- olden tales
- The book retells olden tales from the mountains.
- in olden times
- In olden times, travelers carried their own food.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bygone
- Bygone describes something that belongs to the past and is often used for eras that have ended, with a slightly wistful tone.
- ancient
- Ancient suggests a very distant time such as thousands of years, while olden is vaguer and cozier.
- former
- Former means earlier in a sequence, not necessarily long ago and not nostalgic.
- old-time
- Old-time describes a style or tradition from the past, such as old-time music, rather than a period of history.
Opposites
Word family
- old adjective
- having lived or existed for a long time
- oldie noun
- an old song, film or person, used informally
- oldster noun
- an old person, usually informal or humorous
Commonly confused: olden or golden? olden or elder?
olden vs golden
Golden means made of gold or very good, though it is often paired with olden for a rhythmic effect in golden olden days.
olden vs elder
Elder means older in age or rank within a family, but olden refers to a time in the past.
Practice
My grandfather often says that in the ______ days, people walked miles to school.
Choose one answer.
Olden days is the fixed phrase for a time long ago. Oldest, elderly and ancestor do not form that phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “olden”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.