# old friend

CEFR A1 · Compound

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/old-friend
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

A friend you have known for a long time. This doesn't usually mean the friend is elderly.

For teachers: A person with whom one has had a friendship for a significant duration; 'old' refers to the length of the friendship, not the age of the person.

## Examples

- I saw an old friend at the market.
- I'm having dinner with an old friend from college I haven't seen in years.
- He found unexpected comfort in the familiar counsel of an old friend, whose advice had guided him through many previous crises.

## Pitfalls

- Not "My friend is 25, so he can't be my old friend." but "My friend is 25, but we met as children, so he's an old friend." — 'Old friend' refers to the duration of the friendship, not the age of the person.

## Usage notes

- The word 'old' refers to the length of the friendship, not the age of the friend.
- Teaching tip: Contrast 'old friend' (long-time friend) with 'an old friend' (an elderly friend); the former is a common collocation where 'old' modifies the relationship, not the person's age.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.