traditional

Also tra·di·tion·ar·y

[truh-dish-uh-nl]

adjective

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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.

4. (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.

5. of, relating to, or characteristic of the older styles of jazz, especially New Orleans style, Chicago style, Kansas City style, and Dixieland.

traditional

/ trəˌdɪʃəˈnælɪtɪ, trəˈdɪʃənəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or being a tradition

2. 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

• traditionality noun
• traditionally adverb
• antitraditional adjective
• antitraditionally adverb
• nontraditional adjective
• nontraditionally adverb
• nontraditionary adjective
• pretraditional adjective
• protraditional adjective
• quasi-traditional adjective
• quasi-traditionally adverb
• semitraditional adjective
• semitraditionally adverb
• untraditional adjective
• untraditionally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of traditional¹

First recorded in 1585–95; from Medieval Latin trāditiōnālis; equivalent to tradition + -al ¹

Example Sentences

But operating a traditional biomass facility or shipping wood pellets to Europe wasn’t Arbor’s founding goal — albeit powering data centers in the American South wasn’t exactly either.

From Los Angeles Times

Al Khoziny is a traditional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia known as a pesantren.

From BBC

With traditional specialists like marines or paratroopers becoming increasingly redundant on the modern battlefield, this new unit will storm Russian positions with the help of drones.

From BBC

The brainchild of Chef Donald Young, the come-as-you-are restaurant is a great gateway for those who find traditional fine dining intimidating or stuffy.

From Salon

The problem was being fuelled by people turning away from traditional journalism towards social media influencers, she said, and then being funnelled towards misinformation, conspiracy theories, and far-right politics.

From BBC

Related Words

• classic 
• classical 
• common 
• conventional 
• historic 
• long-established www.thesaurus.com
• old 
• popular 
• regular 
• time-honored 
• universal