tradition

noun

tra·di·tion | \ trə-ˈdi-shən

Definition of tradition

1a : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (such as a religious practice or a social custom)

b : a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable … the bulk of traditions attributed to the Prophet …— J. L. Esposito

2 : the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction

3 : cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions

4 : characteristic manner, method, or style in the best liberal tradition

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Other Words from tradition

traditional \ trə-ˈdish-nəl ,

-ˈdi-shə-nᵊl \ adjective

traditionally adverb

traditionless \ trə-ˈdi-shən-ləs

\ adjective

Examples of tradition in a Sentence

One of our town's time-honored traditions is to have an Easter egg hunt the week before Easter. It is their tradition to give thanks before they start eating. There's an office tradition of wearing casual clothes on Fridays. They no longer follow the traditions of their ancestors. We broke with tradition and had goose for Thanksgiving instead of turkey. By tradition, the celebration begins at midnight. They no longer follow tradition. According to tradition, the goddess lies sleeping beneath the mountain.

Recent Examples on the Web

Christian Bale’s black shirt and tie at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011 was seen as a daring break with tradition. — Ray A. Smith, WSJ, "Who Is He Wearing? Male Stars Take Red-Carpet Fashion Risks," 2 Jan. 2019 This fit with the royal tradition of being modest, but Princess Eugenie put her own spin on the gown with that slight off-the-shoulder fit and the jacquard print. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "Princess Eugenie Walked Down the Aisle in a Peter Pilotto Wedding Gown," 12 Oct. 2018 Sticking with tradition, the '19 Supra will pack an inline six-cylinder engine under the front hood and run that power through the rear wheels. — Matthew Jancer, Popular Mechanics, "What To Know About the 2019 Toyota Supra," 11 Oct. 2018 Harry and Meghan broke with tradition for their wedding in May however, choosing a lemon-elderflower cake made by Claire Ptak of London’s Violet Bakery. — Tamara Abraham, Harper's BAZAAR, "Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's Wedding Cake Is Likely Inspired by Pinterest," 4 Oct. 2018 Already available for pre-order on juviasplace.com, the Afrique Eyeshadow Palette keeps with the brand's tradition of bold and buttery colors — 12 in all. — Marci Robin, Allure, "Juvia's Place Is Coming to Ulta the Same Day It Launches the New Afrique Collection," 18 July 2018 Sometimes, the industry won’t part with tradition even when better technology comes along. — Mike Hendricks, kansascity, "Fire departments fight a culture that saves — and costs — lives," 13 July 2018 Whether this year’s second-rounder, Chimezie Metu, will break with that tradition and join the Spurs in training camp remains to be seen. — Jeff Mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, "What to watch for as Spurs summer leaguers hit Las Vegas," 6 July 2018 The issue of whether candidates should release their tax returns has been in the news frequently since President Donald Trump broke with tradition and refused to release his during the 2016 campaign. — Luke Broadwater, baltimoresun.com, "Larry Hogan releases tax returns, showing he's made $2.4M while governor," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tradition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near tradition

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Last Updated

16 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for tradition

The first known use of tradition was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for tradition

tradition

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tradition

: a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time

: the stories, beliefs, etc., that have been part of the culture of a group of people for a long time

—used to say that someone has qualities which are like the qualities of another well-known person or group of people from the past

See the full definition for tradition in the English Language Learners Dictionary

tradition

noun

tra·di·tion | \ trə-ˈdi-shən

Kids Definition of tradition

1 : the handing down of information, beliefs, or customs from one generation to another

2 : a belief or custom handed down from one generation to another

tradition

noun

tra·di·tion

Legal Definition of tradition

in the civil law of Louisiana : transfer or acquisition of property especially by delivery with intent of both parties to transfer the title delivery of the act of transfer or use of the right by the owner of the dominant estate constitutes tradition — Louisiana Civil Code