traditional

adjective

tra·​di·​tion·​al trə-ˈdi-sh(ə-)nəl 

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

Synonyms

• customary
• conventional
• classical
• usual
• historical

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

What Future-Ready Actually Looks Like Forget the traditional metrics. —Jaime Catmull, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

For a retiree with $1 million saved, the traditional 4 percent rule yields $40,000 annually. —Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025

In many traditions, this is considered a traditional time to glimpse the season ahead. —Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2025

The ride, which opened in June, raises the stakes compared to other traditional area mountain coasters thanks to two parallel tracks designed for head-to-head competition. —Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 18 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing traditional

• anti-traditional
• go/take the traditional route

Rhymes for traditional

• additional
• conditional
• nutritional
• positional
• transitional
• volitional
• compositional
• definitional
• depositional
• dispositional
• intuitional
• nontraditional

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

-ē

adverb