tradition

American  

[truh-dish-uhn] / trəˈdɪʃ ən /

noun

1. the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice.

   a story that has come down to us by popular tradition.

2. something that is handed down.

   the traditions of the American South.

   Synonyms:

   usage, convention, habit, practice, custom

3. a long-established or inherited way of thinking or acting.

   The rebellious students wanted to break with tradition.

4. a continuing pattern of culture beliefs or practices.

5. a customary or characteristic method or manner.

   The winner took a victory lap in the usual track tradition.

6. Theology.

   1. (among Jews) body of laws and doctrines, or any one of them, held to have been received from Moses and originally handed down orally from generation to generation.

   2. (among Christians) a body of teachings, or any one of them, held to have been delivered by Christ and His apostles but not originally committed to writing.

   3. (among Muslims) a hadith.

7. Law. an act of handing over something to another, especially in a formal legal manner; delivery; transfer.

---

tradition British  

/ trəˈdɪʃən /

noun

1. the handing down from generation to generation of the same customs, beliefs, etc, esp by word of mouth

2. the body of customs, thought, practices, etc, belonging to a particular country, people, family, or institution over a relatively long period

3. a specific custom or practice of long standing

4. Christianity a doctrine or body of doctrines regarded as having been established by Christ or the apostles though not contained in Scripture

5. (often capital) Judaism a body of laws regarded as having been handed down from Moses orally and only committed to writing in the 2nd century _ad

6. the beliefs and customs of Islam supplementing the Koran, esp as embodied in the Sunna

7. law Roman law Scots law the act of formally transferring ownership of movable property; delivery

---

Other Word Forms

• antitradition adjective
• countertradition noun
• nontradition noun
• protradition adjective
• traditionist noun
• traditionless adjective

Etymology

Origin of tradition

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English tradicion, from Old French, from Latin trāditiōn- (stem of trāditiō ) “a handing over or down, transfer,” equivalent to trādit(us), past participle of trādere “to give over, impart, surrender, betray” ( trā-, variant of trāns- trans- + -ditus, combining form of datus “given”; see date ¹) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Traditions are longstanding customs and practices. It might be a family tradition to open Christmas presents on Christmas Eve, started because your parents were too impatient to wait. The noun tradition has Latin roots in the word tradere, which means hand over or hand down. So think of a tradition as something that is handed down from one generation to another. Fireworks on the Fourth of July are a national tradition, and playing your school's fight song at the start of the football game is probably a longstanding tradition designed to get the fans excited for the game.

Example Sentences

They’re looking for an artistic lifeline, a way of connecting themselves and their audience with a tradition that extends our collective horizon and encourages us to take a longer view.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

And the big question is whether he will step away from the Fed, or break with tradition and stay on.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

But a quick deep-dive into the baked good’s rich history suggests that it was first created overseas — and deeply embedded in religious tradition.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

They represent the United States, and their obligation, by statute, by tradition, and by the ethical rules that govern every attorney who stands in a federal courtroom, is to seek justice.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026

Part of me was acting on tradition; part of me was worried about embarrassing myself and eating the wrong way—and part of me was thinking, I hope they ask me just one more time.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

Related Words

• belief
• culture
• custom
• ethic
• folklore
• form
• habit
• heritage
• idea
• institution
• law
• legend
• lore
• myth
• mythology
• orthodoxy
• practice
• ritual
• wisdom