as in conservatives
a person whose political beliefs are centered on tradition and keeping things the way they are
a traditionalist who doesn't believe in expanding government
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Recent Examples of traditionalists
In recent years there have been efforts to make the language more inclusive—for example, by adding an asterisk to the plural (Lehrer*innen) to include males, females, and those who identify as nonbinary—which have been opposed by traditionalists and far-right groups.
—
Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025
Because love it or hate it — and all the doubles players who were cut out of the action and the purists and traditionalists really did hate it — this week, on these two days, and especially Wednesday night, this was a pretty big hit.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Optimists see faster, more consistent rulings; traditionalists fear a slippery slope toward outsourcing moral discernment.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
Wedged in the far southeastern corner of the bottom of the continent, between South Africa and Mozambique, Eswatini is the last absolute monarchy in Africa, a status that bewilders modernizers and beguiles traditionalists.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Aug. 2025
Tournaments relying on the human eye are not entirely immune to controversial calls, however, and the All England Club's move that comes after extensive testing last year is likely to only ruffle the feathers of the most staunch traditionalists.
—Shrivathsa Sridhar, Reuters, 27 June 2025
There's always football and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the turkey-day-traditionalists.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 26 Nov. 2024
But this recipe is for the traditionalists, the lover of the classic dishes.
—Amanda Stanfield, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2024
For many traditionalists, effective enforcement of this teaching would mean cracking down on homosexuality among the clergy, including gay clergy who are celibate and chaste.
—Massimo Faggioli, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2018
Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025
Because love it or hate it — and all the doubles players who were cut out of the action and the purists and traditionalists really did hate it — this week, on these two days, and especially Wednesday night, this was a pretty big hit.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Optimists see faster, more consistent rulings; traditionalists fear a slippery slope toward outsourcing moral discernment.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
Wedged in the far southeastern corner of the bottom of the continent, between South Africa and Mozambique, Eswatini is the last absolute monarchy in Africa, a status that bewilders modernizers and beguiles traditionalists.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Aug. 2025
Tournaments relying on the human eye are not entirely immune to controversial calls, however, and the All England Club's move that comes after extensive testing last year is likely to only ruffle the feathers of the most staunch traditionalists.
—Shrivathsa Sridhar, Reuters, 27 June 2025
There's always football and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the turkey-day-traditionalists.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 26 Nov. 2024
But this recipe is for the traditionalists, the lover of the classic dishes.
—Amanda Stanfield, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2024
For many traditionalists, effective enforcement of this teaching would mean cracking down on homosexuality among the clergy, including gay clergy who are celibate and chaste.
—Massimo Faggioli, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traditionalists
conservatives
Noun
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The owner of Butterworth’s, the hangout spot for young conservatives on Capitol Hill, agrees that crime is a major problem not only for businesses but for the public’s safety.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Sep. 2025
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Following intense backlash from conservatives, the graphic was removed, and the museum issued an apology.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Traditionalists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traditionalists. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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