OL
1 synonyms and 0 antonyms for OL, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Informal spelling of "old", used to imitate casual speech.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
From obsolete German Ol- (in Ol-Verbindungen and Olgruppen, coined by Alfred Werner in 1907), from -ol (“-ol”).
Full origin of OL →Frequently asked questions
What does “OL” mean?
The word “OL” means informal spelling of "old", used to imitate casual speech. In plain terms, either a casual, spoken-style shortening of "old" (as in "good ol' days"), or an abbreviation used in electrical testing.
How do you use “OL” in a sentence?
Here is “OL” used in a sentence: “Good ol' days, he always called them.”
What part of speech is “OL”?
Depending on how it is used, “OL” can be an adjective and a noun.
Is “OL” a common word?
“OL” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “OL” have?
“OL” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: informal spelling of "old", used to imitate casual speech.
Is it spelled "ol'" or "ole"?
Both spellings represent the informal pronunciation of "old" in casual speech, as in "good ol' boy" or "good ole boy." The apostrophe form ol' explicitly marks the dropped letter and is often preferred in edited writing, while ole tends to appear in fixed or folksy spellings.
Why does "ol'" have an apostrophe?
The apostrophe shows that part of the word "old" has been dropped to imitate casual speech, where the final d is not pronounced. Writers use ol' to give dialogue or narration a relaxed, folksy tone, as in "the same ol' story."
Should you write "ol'" in formal writing?
No. Ol' is an informal spelling used to imitate casual speech, so it belongs in dialogue, song titles, and relaxed prose rather than formal documents. In formal writing, use the standard spelling "old."