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
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traditionalitynoun
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antitraditionaladjective
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nontraditionaladjective
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nontraditionaryadjective
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pretraditionaladjective
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protraditionaladjective
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quasi-traditionaladjective
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semitraditionaladjective
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untraditionaladjective
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antitraditionallyadverb
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nontraditionallyadverb
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quasi-traditionallyadverb
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semitraditionallyadverb
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traditionallyadverb
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untraditionallyadverb
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.
The traditional software business model of selling licenses is rapidly becoming irrelevant and companies will need to lean into their unique data sources, he argued.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026
Fortunately, investors looking for a more traditional dividend approach still have plenty of options.
From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026
Tech giants and a swarm of startups are racing to build larger quantum systems with the eventual goal of deploying computers that can consistently outperform traditional ones.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to “Candide” made the traditional fireworks display all the more magical.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026
Other types of music, such as traditional Western African drumming, may have very complex meters that can be difficult for the beginner to identify.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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.
