traditional

traditional — adjective

1. connected with the customs, beliefs, or methods that a community has kept and fo

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

connected with the customs, beliefs, or methods that a community has kept and followed over many years, instead of new or changing ones.

Example

Every Saturday, the Patel family serves a traditional Indian dinner with rice and curry.

collocation: traditional + dinner / traditional + meal

In Norway, some villages still hold traditional festivals that go back hundreds of years.

attributive: traditional + festival

Common collocations
  • traditional values
  • traditional culture
  • traditional food / dish / meal
  • traditional music / dance
  • traditional method / approach
  • traditional dress / clothing / costume
  • traditional medicine
  • traditional ceremony / wedding
Synonyms
  • conventional

    focuses on what is commonly accepted or expected in the present, not necessarily old

  • customary

    describes what is done according to established custom or habit, often in a specific place

  • classic

    suggests something of lasting quality or representative of a style, often with positive value

  • orthodox

    more formal; implies strict adherence to accepted ideas, especially in religion or politics

Antonyms
  • modern

    relating to the present time or recent ideas, often implying change or innovation

  • innovative

    introducing new ideas or methods, deliberately different from past practices

  • unconventional

    not following what is generally done or believed

Grammar Patterns

traditional + noun

be + traditional

Usage Note

Commonly used before a noun (attributive position), especially with cultural objects such as food, clothing, music, or ceremonies. Can also follow a linking verb, e.g. 'The ceremony was very traditional.'

Common Mistakes

This is a conventional Chinese medicine.
This is a traditional Chinese medicine.
'conventional' means 'what is normally done now'; 'traditional' means 'done the same way for a long period of time.'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe things that follow an established pattern, but they highlight different aspects. Traditional emphasises that something has been done the same way for a long time and is passed down from the past, such as a traditional holiday meal. Conventional focuses on what most people currently accept as normal, even if it is not old — wearing a suit to an interview is conventional. Customary relates to what is expected by habit or social rule in a specific setting, like a customary handshake when meeting someone. Classic describes something that has lasting value and represents the best of its kind, such as a classic novel. To illustrate: serving turkey on Thanksgiving is traditional in many US homes; wearing formal attire to the dinner is conventional; greeting guests at the door is customary; and the pumpkin pie recipe used is a classic.

traditional ↗conventional ↗customary ↗classic ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • deeply traditional
  • highly traditional
  • very traditional
  • strongly traditional

Phrases

  • by tradition
  • according to tradition

Prepositions

  • traditional in
  • traditional for
  • traditional among

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Traditional comes from the Latin word traditio, meaning 'a handing over' or 'a passing down'. In the 1300s it entered Middle English through Old French, originally referring to the act of transmitting beliefs or stories from one generation to the next. By the 1600s it was being used as an adjective to describe anything that follows long-established customs or practices.