new-world

1 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the New World
Snatches and scraps of old-world philosophies and new-world ethics floated through his mind …Jack London
New-world visitors accustomed to sedate, 55-mile-an-hour speed limits, lane discipline, and courtly driving may be genuinely astonished at old-world ways, especially when they're struggling with a stick shift on a hot summer day with no air-conditioning in the car.Tony Rocca
We new-world settlers … brought the imagination of other countries to transplant it in a different geography.Guy Davenport
Even notes of honey can emerge with bottle age, and new-world examples of the wine made from ripe-picked grapes have exhibited aromas of fig and black raspberry jam.John Winthrop Haeger

New World

2 of 2

noun

Phrases
the New World
: the western hemisphere
especially : the continental landmass of North and South America
It must therefore be inferred that the colonizers of the New World … numbered at least 900 individuals … Johanna Nichols
Some 30,000 Kuna Indians live in villages on the tiny coral islands just off Panama's Caribbean Coast … When Columbus landed in the New World, these Indians occupied a much larger slice of Central America. Norman Myers
compare old world

Examples of new-world in a Sentence

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.
Adjective
Handcrafted by Master Distillers Enrique Fonseca and Sergio Mendoza, fourth—and fifth-generation agave farmers, their tequilas are the result of a methodical blend of old and new-world techniques. Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025 Many PMOs have old-school policies and new-world practices. Barry Cousins, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
The mountain takes its name from an alias adopted by a legendary French woman who secretly followed her fiancé all the way to the New World, became ill, and asked to be buried on this summit. Casey Barber, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2025 Other highlights include Beethoven’s iconic Fifth Symphony (Oct. 24-26), the sweeping melodies of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 (Feb. 13-14, 2026) and Dvořák’s New World Symphony (March 27-29, 2026). Amy Carleton, Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for new-world

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1855, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1549, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of new-world was in 1549

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Cite this Entry

“New-world.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/new-world. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

New World

noun
: the western hemisphere
especially : the continental landmass of North and South America
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