traditional

American  

[truh-dish-uh-nl] / trəˈdɪʃ ə nl /

Also traditionary

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.

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traditional British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

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

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Etymology

Origin of traditional

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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

traditional

Woking once had multiple late-night venues - now it does not have any traditional dedicated nightclubs left in the town centre.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

In late 2024, the studio acquired Curious Refuge, an online AI school that teaches traditional artists and newbies to use generative AI tools for filmmaking.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

The National Park said it designed the event in 2017 to, in part, help local businesses towards the end of the traditional tourism season.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

She just makes very beautiful traditional but artistically done Italian food.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Unlike traditional papers sold by expensive subscription; newsboys hawked these “penny papers” in the streets.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

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Related Words

• classic
• classical
• common
• conventional
• historic
• long-established
• old
• popular
• regular
• time-honored
• universal

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