Old World
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
So Europe, Asia, and Africa are called when compared with North and South America (the New World).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Old World” mean?
So Europe, Asia, and Africa are called when compared with North and South America (the New World).
Is “Old World” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.