traditional

adjective

tra·​di·​tion·​al trə-ˈdi-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce traditional (audio)
1
: of or relating to tradition : consisting of or derived from tradition
a traditional celebration
2
: handed down from age to age
traditional history
traditional songs/stories
3
: following or conforming to tradition : adhering to past practices or established conventions
traditional morality
traditional values/beliefs
employing traditional methods of cooking
traditionally adverb
a dish traditionally made with egg yolks, cream, and sugar
a seating area traditionally reserved for the church's leaders

Examples of traditional in a Sentence

a traditional Passover meal at his grandparents' house a family that is very traditional when it comes to institutions like marriage
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some suggest this is because climate change is interfering with the flowering and pollination of some of the animals’ traditional sources of food. Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025 The night before, Annabelle had made the traditional meal of baked rabbit, asparagus, and custard. George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025 These schools boarding schools would strip Native children of their identity, language, traditional clothes and other parts of their culture and heritage to forcefully assimilate them into American society. Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 6 Nov. 2025 The pair, who got engaged on June 15, 2024, exchanged traditional vows at The Grand at Willow Springs in front of 500 guests. Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for traditional

Word History

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of traditional was in 1545

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Traditional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traditional. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

traditional

adjective
tra·​di·​tion·​al
trə-ˈdish-nəl,
-ən-ᵊl
1
: handed down from age to age without writing
2
: based on custom
our traditional Thanksgiving dinner
traditionally
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on traditional

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!