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 of traditional

• 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

In August, Chivayo posted a video showing Ruto driving him to a helicopter after attending a traditional engagement ceremony involving the Kenyan president's daughter. — Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026

The overall issue of online safety, particularly regarding minors, is one of the few issues that defies traditional political ideologies. — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026

The company is trying to protect its traditional business while investing through uncertainty—in EVs, autonomy, software, AI, manufacturing, and defense. — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

This flexibility enables rail operators to deploy electric service on routes where traditional electrification may not be economically feasible, according to a press release. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

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