Old South is a way of describing the former lifestyle in the Southern United States.

The term originally came into use after the American Civil War to describe the antebellum period. Many southern whites used it with nostalgia to represent the memories of a time of prosperity, social order, and "gracious living". Most blacks saw it as being a reference to the past times of slavery and the plantation economy in which they were chattel property. A desire to return to the order of the "Old South" was a justification for ongoing racial segregation and the continuance of the Jim Crow system.

Once those with personal memories of the antebellum South were largely deceased, the term continued to be used. It was used even as a marketing term, where products were advertised as having "genuine Old South goodness" and the like. However, fraternal and political organizations often used the term to show that they were supporters of white supremacy and segregation, but in a less blantant way.

Certain groups now wish to rescue the term from racist connotations by stating that they desire only to celebrate only the things about the Old South which were good, such as its chivalry, and not every aspect of Southern culture, particularly not the racist aspects. An important and sizeable group of this sort is the Sons of Confederate Veterans, who insist that their group is about "Heritage Not Hate" and make a point of honoring the memories of those blacks who served with the Confederate armed forces and their descendants.

See also: New South.