traditional
Americanadjective
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of or relating to beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., handed down from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice.
While in Kyoto I experienced a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
We use only traditional, time-tested methods to make our wines.
They gave us a book of traditional stories from the Inuit culture.
- Synonyms:
- established, customary, conventional
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in accordance with customs or beliefs handed down from generation to generation.
It is traditional in some cultures for the bride to be given away by her father.
- Synonyms:
- established, customary, conventional
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designating any of various Indigenous or folk religions that do not have a primary founder, written scriptures, or buildings for public worship, and that revolve around practice, ritual, and ceremony rather than systems of doctrine or belief.
Many of our First Peoples, especially those living on treaty lands, continue to practice traditional religion.
-
(of a person) adhering or conforming to customs, beliefs, values, etc., handed down from generation to generation; preferring what is old or long established; old-fashioned.
My mom and dad are very traditional and often clash with modern expectations.
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of, relating to, or characteristic of the older styles of jazz, especially New Orleans style, Chicago style, Kansas City style, and Dixieland.
adjective
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of, relating to, or being a tradition
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of or relating to the style of jazz originating in New Orleans, characterized by collective improvisation by a front line of trumpet, trombone, and clarinet accompanied by various rhythm instruments
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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antitraditionaladjective
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untraditionallyadverb
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quasi-traditionallyadverb
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semitraditionallyadverb
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nontraditionaryadjective
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semitraditionaladjective
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nontraditionaladjective
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untraditionaladjective
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nontraditionallyadverb
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quasi-traditionaladjective
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antitraditionallyadverb
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traditionalitynoun
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pretraditionaladjective
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traditionallyadverb
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protraditionaladjective
Etymology
Origin of traditional
First recorded in 1585–95; from Medieval Latin trāditiōnālis; equivalent to tradition + -al 1
Explanation
Traditional can describe anything that follows tradition, or a usual way of doing things. Traditional Mexican food includes tortillas and beans. A bag of corn chips with chili and fake cheese sauce, on the other hand, is not traditional. A tradition can be personal or national, and the adjective traditional has tons of uses. Traditional football might require a brown pigskin ball or a white soccer ball, depending on where you live. Your traditional national costume could be a sari, while your friend's is a kimono. And that walking taco? It's traditional carnival food for some.
Vocabulary lists containing traditional
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Traditional funeral practices in this region also involve touching the bodies of the dead; when health workers tried to block that from happening, residents only became more suspicious.
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
Traditional antitrust probes can take years and European officials believe the decisions, often fines, come too late to see any positive change to address the harm already done.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Traditional songs are woven directly into the multi-channel soundscapes of Dataland.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Traditional desalination methods such as reverse osmosis and thermal distillation can be expensive and energy intensive.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
Traditional restaurants generally provide a product of higher average quality but of much greater variability, especially on the downward side.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
