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  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

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

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.

Example Sentences

Traditional spectrometers work by splitting light into its component colors using prisms or gratings, then measuring the intensity of each wavelength.

From Science Daily • May 26, 2026

“There is simply no depreciation deduction available to apply at the moment of a Roth conversion, regardless of what investments are inside either the Traditional IRA or the Roth IRA,” says Dorf.

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

Traditional leaders and some locals wanted to burn the compromised casket.

From Barron's • May 24, 2026

Traditional Stellantis dealers are in an uproar over Carvana’s entry.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Traditional grammars tend to run the three concepts together.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

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